Kai Sotto NBL pro debut delayed anew as knee soreness lingers

MANILA, Philippines – The waiting game continues for Kai Sotto and his legion of Filipino fans as the Adelaide 36ers have once again declared him out for their Australia National Basketball League (NBL) home debut against the Illawarra Hawks on Sunday, December 5.

This will now be the 7-foot-3 teenager’s sixth straight missed game dating back to the NBL Blitz preseason, which the 36ers swept in a five-game title run.

He last played in Adelaide’s very first preseason game, where he tallied 7 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 block in 20 minutes as a starter.

Fortunately for him and his fans, Sotto’s condition is now likely on the upswing after he posted a picture of his swollen right knee last Friday, December 3, and clarified that it is “way better now.”

That picture has been reposted numerous times in the 36ers’ Facebook page comment sections both by Filipinos and Aussies alike to combat the ongoing barrage of toxicity spewed by a vocal minority of Pinoy fans.

As the fans’ unrest grows, however, the team remains committed to its careful approach with Sotto’s health, and is now looking for its first win after losing the season opener to the Perth Wildcats, 73-85. – Rappler.com