On Thursday, the Orlando Magic pulled off the unthinkable by letting center Kai Sotto make his eagerly anticipated Summer League debut.
According to recent reports, Sotto has a huge fan base, especially among NBA fans in the Philippines. a group of people who had been anticipating Sotto would become the first Filipino-born professional athlete to reach the major leagues.
The 7-2 center had played exactly ZERO minutes for the Magic during the first three games, but the fourth game was the charm for Sotto as Orlando’s Summer League head coach Dylan Murphy finally kept his word and gave him some playing time.
Sotto played 13 minutes against the Portland Trail Blazers and produced well, going 3-7 from the floor for six points, four rebounds, three blocks, and an assist.
Fans enthusiastically praised Sotto’s debut on social media and in the Las Vegas arena, where the crowd allegedly cheered the loudest of the night when the Filipino phenom made his first basket despite the fαct that the Magic lost the game. The key question is if he did enough to earn himself more playing time in the future after winning over fans during his little action in Las Vegas.
Sotto’s clamor is reminiscent of the obsessive support that surrounded former Orlando Magic center Bol Bol, who was seven feet tall. This offseason, after the team released Bol, some supporters speculated that Sotto would be the next candidate for that position. His role with the Magic going into the regular season, however, is at best hazy given his struggles to earn minutes thus far in Summer League.
The Boston Celtics will be the opponent for Orlando’s final Summer League game. In order to establish himself in the NBA and make history for the Philippines, Sotto’s playing time should continue to rise.