The National Basketball League-Australia (NBL-Australia) has announced it will kick off its 22nd season on November 18.

This means Kai Sotto, who signed with the Adelaide 36ers, will have plenty of preparation time to get immersed with his team.

“Having a start date confirmed for November provides clarity for our clubs, players, coaches, staff, partners, broadcasters and fans, as we all prepare for what promises to be another amazing season,” said NBL Commissioner Jeremy Loeliger in adelaide36ers.com.

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Loeliger said they have decided to push the opening to November to give more fans the opportunity to watch the games amid the pandemic.

“Based on expert advice and based on our own experiences from last season, delaying a month gives us more flexibility and most importantly, it provides fans a much better chance of attending more games in Australia and New Zealand as the number of people vaccinated against COVID increases towards the end of the year," he said.

Sotto has signed a multi-year deal with the Adelaide 36ers.

Sotto has been staying in Australia since August 9 and is expected to join the 36ers in their training camp before the pre-season games sometime in October.

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