MANILA – Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson is expecting the entry of his fellow Filipino Kai Sotto to the National Basketball Association (NBA) soon.
Clarkson said during an interview with Spin.ph that he is excited to partner or compete against the 7-foot-2 Sotto who recently committed to play for the NBA G League select team.
G League is NBA’s developmental league. Players who are 18 years of age can play there before becoming eligible to participate in the NBA Draft.
“I’ve seen some of his highlights, and he’s coming along pretty well. It would really be nice to see Kai make it to the NBA. I have my eyes on him and I’ll be supporting him,” said Clarkson.
He added: “My advice for him is ‘Be you and be humble no matter what. The media is going to do and say what they want. Just be free.’”
Clarkson, who played for Gilas Pilipinas during the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, earlier praised Filipino-American Jalen Green – the first to commit to the NBA G League select team.
Sotto and Green are expected to build a formidable partnership in G League games.
The 18-year-old Sotto trained with the Skills Factory in Atlanta, Georgia for the past year. His breaking performances attracted several giant National Collegiate Athletic Association teams in the US and European ball clubs.
He made visits to University of Kentucky, Georgia Tech, DePaul, and University of Auburn before he made his move to NBA G-League.
The Filipino center is expected to earn to earn $500,000 for a five-month season in the G League./PN
