Kai
The tallest Filipino professional basketball player, tied with Raul Dillo, standing 7 ft 3 in.
Kai Zachary Perlado Sotto (born May 11, 2002) is a Filipino professional basketball player who last played for the Koshigaya Alphas of the Japanese B.League. Listed at 7 ft 3 in (2.21 m), he plays the center position. He is tied with Raul Dillo as the tallest Filipino professional basketball player ever. Sotto and Dillo are also the second-tallest Filipino men, behind only William Biscocho, who stands at 7 ft 4 in (2.24 m). Sotto is the son of former PBA player Ervin Sotto. He played high school basketball for the Ateneo Blue Eaglets, winning a juniors championship and MVP award. He then moved to the United States, was recruited by NCAA Division I schools, but signed with NBA G League Ignite in 2020. After leaving Ignite by mutual agreement, he joined the Adelaide 36ers for the 2021–22 season, declared for the 2022 NBA draft but went undrafted, and later played for the Hiroshima Dragonflies, Yokohama B-Corsairs, and Koshigaya Alphas of Japan's B.League. Sotto has also represented the Philippines national team in several senior and youth tournaments, including the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
Quick Facts
- Role
- Center
- Affiliation
- Koshigaya Alphas (last played for)
- Origin
- Las Piñas, Philippines
- Key ability
- Listed at 7 ft 3 in (2.21 m); plays center
Lore & Background
Kai Sotto was born on May 11, 2002, in Las Piñas, Philippines, to Ervin and Pamela Sotto. He began playing basketball at age four and grew up idolizing Tim Duncan, June Mar Fajardo, and Kristaps Porziņģis. He played high school basketball for the Ateneo Blue Eaglets, leading them to a UAAP Season 80 championship in 2017–18, where he averaged 17 points, 13 rebounds, and 6.3 blocks in the finals series, winning Finals MVP. In his final season, UAAP Season 81 (2018–19), he averaged 25.1 points, 13.9 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game and won the season MVP award. In March 2019, he left Ateneo as a third-year high school student to move to the United States, continuing his studies at the Miami School in Hamilton, Ohio, and graduating in April 2021. He joined The Skill Factory in Atlanta, Georgia, on November 9, 2019, and was named MVP of the King Invitational tournament on January 21, 2020, averaging 27 points, 10.6 rebounds, 4.3 blocks, and three assists. On May 13, 2020, he signed with NBA G League Ignite, forgoing college eligibility. He later signed with the Adelaide 36ers on April 21, 2021, as a Special Restricted Player, making his professional debut on December 18, 2021. He declared for the 2022 NBA draft but went undrafted. He joined the Hiroshima Dragonflies on February 7, 2023, was loaned to the Yokohama B-Corsairs on December 28, 2023, and signed with the Koshigaya Alphas on June 21, 2024. On January 5, 2025, he tore his left ACL and was expected to be sidelined for at least six months. He returned on January 24, 2026, but suffered a right ankle injury on February 1.
Reader's Guide
Kai Sotto is a 7 ft 3 in center who last played for the Koshigaya Alphas of the Japanese B.League. He is tied with Raul Dillo as the tallest Filipino professional basketball player ever, and they are the second-tallest Filipino men behind William Biscocho (7 ft 4 in). Sotto's professional career began with the Adelaide 36ers in the NBL, where he averaged 7.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in 15 minutes per game in his debut season and was voted NBL Fans MVP in an online poll. He won back-to-back Fans MVP awards in the NBL. In the B.League, he recorded a career-high 28 points on March 30, 2024, in an 81–75 loss to Alvark Tokyo while playing for the Yokohama B-Corsairs. He also set career highs in rebounds (18) and minutes (40) on October 26, 2024, for the Alphas. Sotto has represented the Philippines national team in the Under-17 and Under-19 Basketball World Cups and the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
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