Kai Sotto would not be playing basketball and representing the Philippines around the world if it weren’t for his father’s own pro career.

The latest Smart ambassador and young phenom recounts how his father, the PBA’s Ervin Sotto—himself a highly regarded center picked in the first round of the 2004 PBA Draft—influenced him and made him fall in love with the sport.

“When I started watching my dad play basketball, doon ko na-realize kung gaano kalaki ang impact ng basketball sa buhay ng tatay ko,” said Kai in a new video for Smart’s Double Giga Stories.

He knew what his lifelong passion would be on the day he first tried to play ball. “Once na nag-start akong humawak ng basketball at mag-shoot, doon ko na-realize na ito yung dream ko na ie-enjoy habangbuhay.”

Kai also credits his father and his entire family for making the necessary sacrifices that would allow him to pursue glory in his career.

“Ang promise ko sa kanila is susuklian ko lahat ng mga sacrifice nila,” he said.

Fresh from Gilas Pilipinas triumphant 3-0 stint at the Clark Bubble leg of the FIBA Asia Cup, Kai earned positive reviews with after he showed flashes of brilliance inside the paint. The team is currently training for the Serbia leg happening in July where the former cadets will face host country Serbia and Dominican Republic.

Outside the international basketball arena, Kai continues to build his Kaiju Academy, aimed to train young athletes who may want to follow in the footsteps of the pure-blooded Filipino cager.

With those kinds of milestones and accomplishments racked up at such a young age, it’s more than likely that Kai Sotto will go down as one of the most important basketball players in Philippine history—all because he had the courage to pursue his passions. Watch his full video here.

Balancing passion and sharing stories real time 

Kai lets his supporters and friends in on his basketball journey with his posts, updates and stories. Follow Kai’s lead, be inspired by his passion for basketball tell your own passion stories with Smart’s Double GIGA Stories, powered by the country’s fastest mobile data network as reported by third-party mobile internet analytics firm Ookla® and Opensignal.  
    
Double GIGA Stories comes with 2 GB Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tiktok, and Kumu guaranteed every day, plus data for all sites.

Kai—and the rest of his Gilas teammates—use social media to document this pivotal point in their young basketball careers. To follow their journeys and share your own passions and stories, Double GIGA Stories has your back. Just go to the Smart GigaLife App and choose Double GIGA to start!