Green eager to join Sotto

Jalen Green
Courtesy of Chooks-to-Go

MANILA, Philippines — Jalen Green can’t wait to don the same jersey and team up with Kai Sotto as they represent the Philippines in the coming season of the NBA G League.

“I’m looking forward to it. Kai’s a great player. I think he can be good and we’ll be really great together,” said Green, the high-flying Fil-American who’s had exciting match-ups with Sotto in the NBTC National Finals.

“Other than that, we got to represent the Philippines. I’m excited to play with him and represent the Philippines,” he said.

The 6-foot-5 Green visited the country in 2018 and 2019 to represent FilAm Sports USA in the NBTC, where he got the better of Sotto and the Ateneo Blue Eaglets on both occasions.

Green’s Team USA and Sotto’s Gilas Pilipinas also took part in the 2018 FIBA U-17 World Cup and the 2019 U-19 World Cup where they never crossed paths in the group stages. Team USA ruled both the tourneys.

From rivals, Green and Sotto are now pals in the new G League select team with other high school prospects for a common mission of making it all the way to the NBA.

But more than their NBA dreams, the G League prodigies will also have a chance to fullfill their education goals as assured by coach Brian Shaw after skipping collegiate offers from top US NCAA programs.

“When they come to our program, if they do make it to the NBA, we still pay for them for four years of college with a program with Arizona State if they ever want to finish their education so that’s what a lot of people don’t know,” he said.

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