MANILA – The hopes of Kai Sotto joining the Team Ignite in Orlando bubble for the ongoing National Basketball Association (NBA) G League season burst as the Filipino center and his squad mutually parted ways.
It was confirmed by NBA G League president Shareef Abdul-Rahim on Tuesday evening.
“Kai and the team both understood the challenges for him to rejoin Ignite given the current international travel constraints, quarantine times, and health and safety protocols,” Abdul-Rahim said.
“Kai will always be part of the extended Ignite family and we wish him continued success as he pursues his NBA dreams,” the NBA G League official added.
Sotto has trained with Team Ignite and was supposed to join them in the “Orlando Bubble” before he decided to fly back home to join Gilas Pilipinas for the third window of International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Asia Cup Qualifiers.
“With the team’s permission, Sotto left Ignite on January to train with the Philippines National Team at the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifying Tournament in Qatar before that event was cancelled,” said Abdul-Rahim.
The 7-foot-3 Sotto arrived in the country and completed his quarantine before joining the national team but Doha begged off to host the final window of the qualifiers due to the rising cases of coronavirus disease 2019 in Qatar.
Sotto and his dad Erwin flew back to the United States weeks ago but reports already surfaced that the Filipino NBA prospect did not rejoin Ignite inside the bubble in Orlando.
The camp of Sotto, as well as his East West Private handlers, will address the issue yet.
Team Ignite, which is led by Filipino-American Jalen Green, is at the halfway mark of the NBA G-League season and has 5-3 win-loss record./PN
