MANILA, Philippines – Filipino-American Jalen Green and homegrown talent Kai Sotto are part of an elite group of prospects in NBA G League Team Ignite.
The first to experience the developmental league's professional pathway to achieve their NBA dream, they know just how big of a deal it is to be prepped and become NBA-ready in the best of stages.
The 18-year-old Green, the top prospect coming out of high school before forgoing college ball for the G League, recently spoke about the honor of competing in Team Ignite.
"This is a first time thing. The whole team that's here right now is basically trendsetters," Green said in a short documentary produced by the G League.
He and Sotto, along with other elite prospects Jonathan Kuminga, Isaiah Todd, Daishen Nix and Princepal Singh, are part of a special group in a journey to the NBA that no one else has experienced yet.
So pressure, on the part of the up and coming stars, is reasonably expected.
But with the competitiveness of each member of their team, Green says, the external pressures and expectations become irrelevant.
"It's a lot of pressure. We're 18-year-olds, 19-year-olds, playing in the G League," said Green
"The G League is right underneath the NBA... You could be dead tired, but the energy going to pick up as soon as you get in the gym," he added.
Green boasted of he and his teammates' desire to reach their dreams, ignoring all other possible distractions along the way.
"Our practices are very energetic, competitive... Once you step on that floor, like, all that pressure really just goes away," he said.
Green, Sotto and the rest of Team Ignite are based in Walnut Creek, California, and are currently preparing for the upcoming NBA G League season in a bubble format in February.