NO ACCIDENT THAT KAI SOTTO IS PLAYING THE BEST BASKETBALL OF PRO CAREER

CHICAGO - Under the backdrop of Lent, when the faithful endure a period of grief that ends in a joyous celebration, Kai Sotto is weaving his own story of redemption.

As the 7-foot-3 phenom knows by now, being in the public eye is a disease of adversity, and often, an unwelcome intrusion into all aspects of his personal life.

Following a years-long journey that has taken him to countries and continents, Kai has found some peace in Yokohama, Japan. 

And in that quiet place, he is making a lot of beautiful noise.

Since his transfer from the Hiroshima Dragonflies last December, Sotto has established himself as a force with the B-Corsairs, averaging 11.8 points, 6 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.1 blocks in 18.7 minutes of play per game.

"We are proud and happy for him. He's working hard and deserves it," Patty Scott, the CEO of East-West Private, which has managed Kai since 2010, told SPIN.ph of the center's vastly improved play. 

Hitting 66.7 percent from the field while emerging as a reliable rim protector, Kai has started in five of Yokohama's last nine games (excluding today's action). With him in the rotation, Yokohama is in the running for a playoffs wild card berth with a 21-25 won-lost record.

The marked progression in both his confidence and performance is hardly any surprise given how Kai has consistently been committed to the heavy lifting necessary in becoming a robust two-way player.

GYM WORK PAYING OFF.

And to further maximize his potential, the NBL veteran is getting a helping hand from a new strength and conditioning coach, Mel Lantin.

Since Team Kai is a tight-knit group where each member is among the best of the best at what they do, Lantin's inclusion to the flock is a nod to his capacity to  complement Sotto's quest to be the version of himself.

"Excellent. (He) does great work and has been great for Kai," Tony Ronzone of Wasserman Sports said of Lantin, who has 24 years of experience in the field of strength and conditioning of athletes in various sports disciplines. 

Lantin first met Kai last August 2023, a collaboration that carried over in January this year up to the present in Japan where Mel oversees Kai's world-class off-court regimen.

"Kai's weight when we started was between 109 to 110 kilograms. With what we're doing in the last two-and-a-half months, Kai is approaching 112 kilograms," Lantin told SPIN.ph.

The roughly 6.6 pounds of extra muscle, added bulk which hasn't affected his movement, has enabled Kai to morph into an increased threat in the paint on both ends of the floor. 

"His program is periodized based on his game schedules, prioritizing different components like strength, power, speed, mobility, and other components in his game," Lantin, who owns Fit Twenty One in Las Pinas, explained.

BIGGER AND BETTER.

Lantin's job is made easier by a willing and eager gym rat such as Kai, whose daily routine factors into consideration the "scale of his soreness, tiredness, sleep and onset feel of a particular training day."

Kai's diet is also carefully being monitored.

"Whenever they're in Japan, his parents Ervin and Pamela, cook his favorite Filipino dishes and he loves to eat rice. Overall, his meals are balanced with proteins, carbs and fiber-rich foods."

What a difference a few months make. Just last July, Kai was hindered in his first NBA Summer League appearance in Las Vegas. A lower back issue held him to just two games where he averaged 3 points, 3 rebounds and 2 blocks in 10.8 minutes of action.

Now pain-free and healthy, and in phenomenal shape, Kai is showing the promise that made a basketball crazy nation rally behind him.

Making the NBA is still a tall task but Kai Sotto's devotion to hard work and passion for the game has made that dream a little more reachable. 

2024-03-29T06:17:59Z dg43tfdfdgfd