Kai rejoins 36ers still in pursuit of NBA dream  

MANILA, Philippines — After going undrafted in the NBA, Filipino wunderkind Kai Sotto is returning to the “Land Down Under” to rejoin the Adelaide 36ers in the Australia National Basketball League (NBL).

“Let’s run it back, Adelaide 36ers,” Sotto announced last night on his social media account.

The NBL followed suit in welcoming back Sotto for the 2022-2023 season, marking the 7-foot-3 Filipino’s second year in the Australian league.

Sotto averaged decent numbers of 7.52 points on 50-percent clip and 4.48 rebounds for the 36ers last season that served as his international pro debut.

With the first Filipino cager in the Australian major league, the 36ers finished seventh with a 10-18 card in the NBL last season that was ruled by the Sydney Kings.

After that season, the 20-year-old giant opted to throw his hat to the NBA draft sweepstakes last month but was  not fortunate to be selected in the two-round proceedings.

Sotto, who had a brief stint with Ignite in the NBA G League before his detour to NBL, also did not see action in the NBA Summer League before signing with renowned Wasserman sports agency as his new representation.

In the NBL for his second year, Sotto is expected to unleash his full potential under mentor CJ Bruton. The ultimate goal is to still make it to the NBA down the road.

The NBL has been a gateway for some NBA prospects over the years like the Charlotte Hornets’ Lamelo Ball and the Oklahoma Thunder’s Josh Giddey, who played for the Illawarra Hawks and Adelaide, respectively.