Filipino sensation Kai Sotto finally made the jump as he is set to play for the Yokohama B-Corsairs in the Japan B. League.
The B-Corsairs made the announcement, saying that the 21-year-old rising star will be playing on loan for the B-Corsairs from the Hiroshima Dragonflies from 26 December until the end of the 2023-2024 season.
Sotto averaged 8.92 points in 24 games and grabbed 6.08 rebounds and 1.38 assists while leading the Dragonflies to a semifinal appearance.
Unfortunately, the Dragonflies got swept by Carl Tamayo and the Ryukyu Golden Kings in a best-of-three semifinal affair.
In a previous report, Sotto’s father, Ervin, stressed that his failure to get enough playing time with the Dragonflies led to his decision to move to Yokohama.
“I think he can be utilized more at Yokohama,” the elder Sotto said.
Sotto said he is thankful to Yokohama to take him in despite suffering a nagging lumbar disc herniation that he sustained during his Orlando Magic stint in the National Basketball Association Summer League last June.
“I wanna thank the team Yokohama B-Corsairs and the organization for trusting and signing me to play for the team, despite coming off an injury. I’m very blessed to be given this opportunity and I will make the most out of it,” Sotto said.
“I’m very excited to play for the city of Yokohama. I can’t wait to win more games and get better as a player. Go B-COR!”
With Yokohama sitting at the 19th place with a 10-14 win-loss record, general manager Ken Takeda believes Sotto’s inclusion will give the team a much-needed boost for their current B. League campaign.
“To achieve this goal, we have decided to change the roster. Kai Sotto, who joined the club on a temporary transfer from Hiroshima, is a very promising young player with a size of 220 centimeters and a soft shooting touch,” Takeda said.
“We have high hopes for him as a new option not only on inside defense and rebounding but also on offense. I believe that the arrival of Sotto will give the team even more energy and accelerate into the midfield and the second half of the season.”
Sotto can play for Yokohama as early as 30 December when it collides with the SeaHorses Mikawa.
