Magic Moment: Kai Sotto's Summer League Debut
ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic did the unthinkable on Thursday by allowing center Kai Sotto to make his long-awaited Summer League debut.
As recently reported, Sotto has a massive following, particularly amongst Filipino NBA fans. A community that’s been hoping Sotto would become the first player born and raised in the Philippines to make it into the big leagues.
Through three games, the 7-2 big man had played a grand total of ZERO minutes for the Magic, but the fourth game proved to be the charm for Sotto as Orlando’s Summer League head coach Dylan Murphy finally made good on his promise to give him minutes.
Against the Portland Trail Blazers, Sotto received 13 minutes worth of playing time and was productive, shooting 3-7 from the field, scoring six points, four rebounds, three blocks, and an assist.
Although the Magic lost the game, fans emphatically celebrated Sotto’s debut both on social media and in the arena in Las Vegas, where the stadium reportedly erupted into its loudest cheers of the night when the Filipino sensation scored his first bucket.
After impressing fans during his limited action in Las Vegas, the big question is whether or not he did enough to earn himself more playing time in the future.
Sotto's fanfare is reminiscent of the crazed fandom that followed Orlando's former seven-foot center, Bol Bol. The organization released Bol this offseason, which led to some fans speculating that Sotto would be the next man up for that role. However, after struggling to find minutes thus far into Summer League, his role in any capacity with the Magic come regular season remains murky at best.
Orlando will face off against the Boston Celtics in its final Summer League contest. Hopefully, Sotto's playing time will continue to increase as he looks to carve out a role in the NBA and make history for the Philippines.
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