Brownlee see Sotto “major comeback”

JUSTIN BROWNLEE, the mainstay naturalized player for the Gilas Pilipinas, sent his best wishes and prayers to Kai Sotto, who reported on Wednesday that he had sustained a serious injury.

Sotto provided an official update on his horrible injury in an Instagram post yesterday, claiming that he experienced one of basketball’s worst nightmares, an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear. 

This occurred when the 7-foot-3 center was posting up Zach Auguste during the first quarter of Koshigaya Alpha’s game against Mikawa Seahorses, which they ultimately lost 77-79.

Prayers up

Brownlee expressed hope for Sotto’s return following their game against North Port Batang Pier on Wednesday, acknowledging that the big man’s injury is a “tough blow” for Gilas.

“That’s definitely a tough blow for the team, and personally for Kai. I can only imagine what he’s going through, but definitely sending my prayers to him,” he said.

“Hopefully he can keep his spirits up. Just get well soon, get through this injury–I hope his surgery goes well and the rehab process and everything’s go well,” Brownlee went on to say. 

Not only will Sotto face an uphill battle, but so will the entire Gilas Pilipinas team. The national squad will prepare for the departure of the big man, who was outstanding in their triumph over New Zealand in November. 

Still the future of PH basketball

Regardless of how difficult it will be for Sotto to return to this level following his injury, Brownlee believes the 22-year-old big man still has a bright future ahead of him.

“I still see a great future and what he can bring to the table. You know, just another setback for a major comeback,” Brownlee said. 

It can be remembered that Brownlee previously praised the Gilas Pilipinas big man for his performance against New Zealand, where he tallied 19 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists.

“I’ve been saying, I feel like he is good enough playing in the NBA, in my opinion,” he said last November, as Brownlee once had a taste of playing in the NBA Summer League with the New York Knicks in 2012.

“Of course, he’s got the height, he’s got the size, and the skills. But he’s been improving so much. It’s great to see. A young player like him with so much potential and see him start fulfilling his potential,” he added.

Gilas head coach Tim Cone has stated that the squad may hold a training camp in Doha as part of their preparation for two road matches against Chinese Taipei on February 20 and New Zealand on February 23. 

After losing Sotto, Cone and the rest of Gilas Pilipinas face a tough problem in determining how to move forward after losing a key player, with only a few weeks to prepare for the final window of the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers.