Kaiju's NBA dream is alive and well.
It appears all the hard work Kai Sotto is putting in might have finally paid off—at least partially.
After participating in a two-day minicamp with the Utah Jazz, working out in the Dallas Mavericks’ practice facility, and joining another minicamp with the New Knicks, the 7-foot-3 Sotto has reportedly secured an invite to play in the NBA Summer League by way of the Orlando Magic.
Sports analyst Quinito Henson broke the positive news on Twitter:
Henson added that three to four teams "expressed interest" in Sotto, but that "Orlando offered the best situation." But getting into an NBA Summer League is one thing, proving oneself is another, and it will be all on Kaiju to do just that.
The NBA Summer League is a mini-tournament organized by the NBA to give rookies, free agents, and undrafted players the chance to show out and prove their worth. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Carmelo Anthony all played in the Summer League prior to their rookie seasons, as did Donovan Mitchell and Jayson Tatum.
The 2023 NBA Summer League, according to Henson, will run from July 7 to 17 and will be played in its home in Las Vegas.
Sotto, of course, is a free agent after going undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft, which means he can sign with any team. He is attempting to become the first full-bloodied Filipino to make it to the world’s premier hoops league. And that is a dream that can be realized, according to NBA champion coach Phil Handy, who recently described Sotto as very talented and naturally gifted.
Now, with this Summer League call-up, Kaiju might have just taken a big, bold step to finally realizing his NBA dream.