MANILA – Kai Sotto is gearing up for an eventful summer.

Aside from reaffirming his commitment to Gilas’ World Cup stint in August, the 7-foot-3 young star has been grinding in the past few weeks as he continues to pursue his goal of making it to the NBA

• Kai Sotto assures Pinoy fans he will show up in FIBA World Cup

And Sotto reiterated how challenging the experience is as he sets himself up for a shot in the NBA Summer League in July.

“I think it was a good experience,” said Sotto in an interview on Power and Play. “Utah is a different place, it's got a higher altitude, it was harder to breathe,” he said about the two-day mini-camp hosted by the Utah Jazz that he attended.

“There were 26 of us in the minicamp and everybody got tired early, but it was just a lot of competing, a lot of five-on-five. They just gave us the opportunity to play. I think it's a good experience, that's my first time doing it,” the former Ateneo big man said.

“Some guys there are players from overseas, some guys played in the G-League, and past NBA players who are trying to make a roster.

His agent, Tony Ronzone of Wasserman sports agency, also shared what scouts are looking for from the hopefuls, and why it is vital for the Hiroshima Dragonflies center to go through these camps.

• B.League: Kai Sotto signs extension with Hiroshima

“They are looking at 'Can he be coached?' [players]. It's the coachability. That means when they write up a play, can he adjust to it? Does he know where to go at the right place, at the right time? They're looking at all aspects of his game,” he said in the same interview.

“It's very important [mini-camps and Summer League] because you are educating these teams on who Kai Sotto is. Has he improved since his days with G-League in Ignite? Does he want it? Does he have the heart? Is he hungry?”

He then bared that Sotto is more than ready to make waves as he guides the young Filipino on his path toward the NBA.

“He has all those. He just got to show it to the teams,” said Ronzone.

“He's got a couple more mini-camps to perform at and he's continuing to work out in the next month to get him ready for the [training] camps,” he added.

“He's right there. It's just a matter of him taking the next step.”

The former Adelaide 36er is confident enough that he can put up a show as he enters one of the most crucial and eventful summers of his young professional career.

“I feel like I'm a better player [now]. I feel like I get better every day. A lot of it is mental as well. I've learned a lot from my past experiences in all these different leagues, different games, and I just have to show it,” Sotto said.

“Those are the things that I can control and that's what I'm focusing on.”

• FIBA: Kai Sotto 'never said no' to playing for Gilas Pilipinas

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