Unless he receives a training camp invite from the Orlando Magic, Kai Sotto is set to rejoin Gilas Pilipinas in its preparation for the FIBA Basketball World Cup that the country will host from 25 August to 10 September.
No less than Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Al Panlilio made the confirmation to Daily Tribune, saying that the 7-foot-3 slot man will be back in town next week if he doesn’t get a call-up from Magic executives.
He is scheduled to arrive in Manila on 18 July, barely a few days after the Magic wrap up their National Basketball Association Summer League campaign against the Boston Celtics on Sunday at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Panlilio stressed that if plans do not miscarry, Sotto will be available when Gilas Pilipinas flies to China for a pocket tournament against the national squads of Iran, Lebanon, and Senegal from 2 to 6 August.
“Kai should be here next week,” Panlilio said in a Viber message.
“It’s important for him to join the Gilas team when we play in China.”
The China tourney is like a reunion of sorts among the best players in Asia.
Aside from June Mar Fajardo and Japeth Aguilar, who have been competing in Asia for more than 10 years, Iran will parade some old hands like Hamed Haddadi and Arsalan Kazemi while Lebanon will be bannered by Wael Arakji.
The 7-foot-2 Haddadi was the biggest thorn in the Filipinos’ path during the FIBA Asia Men’s Championship in 2013 while Kazemi played college for Rice and Oregon in the Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association before trouncing the Filipinos in the 2014 FIBA Asia Challenge Cup.
Arakji, for his part, is regarded as the most hated nemesis of Gilas after sinking the game-winner that gave Lebanon an 81-85 victory in the fourth window of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers last year.
The Senegalese are also familiar to the Filipinos after beating them, 81-79, in the group stage of the FIBA World Cup in Spain in 2014 — their first victory in the world stage in 40 years.
“We leave on 1 August because we have a scheduled game the next day. We play 2, 4 and 6 August. I think the tournament will be held in Guangdong,” said Reyes, who will miss the services of injured swingman Scottie Thompson.
Tim Cone, one of Reyes’ assistant coaches, believes Gilas is on the right track in terms of preparation.
“From where we are right now, I think we’re on the right track. We made strides in our European training, but injuries are a big concern,” Cone said in a Viber message
