Kai Sotto confirms he's G-League bound

Kai Sotto and Jalen Green will team up in the NBA G-League professional pathway program. Chooks-To-Go (file photo)

By Ivan Saldajeno

MANILA--Kai Sotto just made it official.

The seven-foot-two Filipino basketball sensation confirmed on Twitter that he is heading to the NBA G-League.

"Let's go!" Sotto simply tweeted on Thursday.

Let’s go! @nbagleague pic.twitter.com/GNZkPTMxMa

— Kai Sotto (@kzsottolive) May 14, 2020

Former NBA star Shareef Abdul-Rahim, the president of the G-League, made it formal through a press release later in the day. Sotto became the first international player to join the G-League's new professional pathway program.

On Monday, Shams Charania of The Athletic, who first broke the news, said that Sotto will be joining fellow NBTC alumnus Jalen Green in a so-called "select team" that will be led by former NBA coach Sam Mitchell.

The select team, which will not be affiliated with an NBA or a G-League club, will train during the entire G-League season and will play 25 games against G-League squads.

The 18-year-old Sotto, who first entered the spotlight by being the 2016 Jr. NBA Philippines men's MVP and also made the Basketball Without Borders Global Camp recently, is eligible for the 2021 NBA Draft.

Follow him on Twitter: @IvanSaldajeno