One of the elements of Kai Sotto’s game that received praise during his stint practicing with Gilas Pilipinas on Monday night was how he held his own against bigger, stronger defenders.

The same can be said for how he dealt with the attention he received afterward from several fans who saw him scrimmage at Meralco Gym and sought to interact with him.

Amid a crowd, Sotto thrived.

The 7-foot teenager isn’t on the level yet of his more nationally renowned future teammates at Gilas, but his height for a 15-year-old and a decent enough game to go with his physical gifts have people taking notice.

And if he maintains his friendly demeanor, that base of followers could grow.

“Thankful lang ako na may nag-a-appreciate sa akin kaya binabalik ko lang sa kanila iyong faith,” said Sotto, who currently plays for the Ateneo juniors team.

“Ako kung may idol ako na gusto kong lapitan, siyempre gusto ko rin na pansinin ako.”

Sotto stood out not only because he was a head-and-a-half taller than a lot of his fans, but for a high-school player he also drew the most selfie-seekers, all of whom he genuinely accommodated.

It’s from his father, former PBA pro Ervin Sotto, that Kai learned the importance of treating fans right.

“Sinasabi ko sa kaniya na hindi sila nakakakita ng 7-footer na bata araw-araw sa labas ng bahay nila. Ngayon lang sila nakakita ng tulad mo, so bakit mo susupladuhan?” Ervin said.

“Lalapit sila sa’yo in a positive manner na iniidolo ka nila, matangkad ka. Ba’t mo babalikan ng negative? So dapat balikan mo rin ng maganda, kasi it’s a good karma.

“Kahit na pangit iyong binibigay sa’yo, kahit laitin ka o anuman, ibalik mo pa rin ng maganda.”

For Kai Sotto’s age, there’s little to complain about his game.

On Monday night, he didn’t shy away from contact, going up against wider bodies in the paint. He ably received passes more forceful than he’s used to getting in high school, which demonstrated how strong his hands are.

His reaction time proved to be quick, too. There was one sequence when, just as a defender was about to switch to him, Sotto fed a teammate for a high-percentage shot. Another sequence showed Sotto instantaneously changing his shot from a set jumper to a teardrop recognizing that a defender skied up and tried to block him. Both the pass and the shot were last-second decisions that came to Sotto instinctively.

Granted Sotto’s actions happened in a low-impact environment, but those were signs nonetheless that pointed to someone who had a natural feel for what he was doing, something a player as young as Sotto doesn’t just pick up and showcase with relative ease.

Coach Chot Reyes, who settled on being an observer on this night and let his coaching staff take over drills and scrimmages, said what he saw in Sotto was “very encouraging.”

“Nakakasabay siya,” Reyes said. “He was able to pick up very quickly the things that we were doing and when we made him go up against the defense of the big guys, he held his own.”

That’s high praise from Reyes because, in case it needs emphasizing, he’s talking about a 15-year-old kid.

Winning the genetic lottery is just one part of what’ll make Sotto a truly special player one day; having the correct attitude and having somebody inculcate that in him is the other part, a role his father welcomes.

“Hindi naman ako nagulat na magfi-fit siya sa mga teammates niya kasi matalino naman iyong bata, matalinong maglaro,” Ervin Sotto said.

Given what he can do and the potential oozing from him right now, the time when Kai Sotto finally blossoms into a full-grown member of the Gilas senior men’s team can’t come fast enough.

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