Tallest PBA Player Kai Sotto's Career, Stats & Achievements

Over the years, PBA has witnessed players with extraordinary heights both in the domestic and international circuits. Kai Sotto is a 22-year-old young Filipino, who is currently the tallest basketball player as per the PBA News 2024.

This blog discusses the brief introduction, career highlights, stats in different leagues, and the 15 tallest players who are currently part of the Philippines Basketball Association.

Kai Sotto - The Tallest PBA Player Ever

Kai Sotto is a Filipino basketball player. He was born on May 11, 2002, in Las Piñas, Philippines. Kai is the tallest PBA player ever, standing 7 feet 2 inches (2.21 meters), and plays as a center. He became a highlight due to his extraordinary height at such a young age and he was called up to the USA.

Kai Sotto played for The Skills Factory in the United States to develop his talents. He also joined the NBA G League Ignite, a team that helps young players prepare for the NBA. In addition, Kai has played for the Philippine national team, known as Gilas Pilipinas.

Kai Sotto Professional Career Highlights

Early Career and Move to the NBA G League

• May 2020: Kai Sotto signed with the NBA G League Ignite, a special team for young talents.
• 2021: Due to travel issues caused by COVID-19, Sotto missed games to play for the Philippine national team. He couldn't rejoin Ignite afterward.
• Impact: As he joined Ignite, Sotto couldn't play college basketball in the NCAA.

Adelaide 36ers (2021-2023)

• April 2021: Sotto, the tallest PBA player then signed with the Adelaide 36ers in Australia's NBL as a "Special Restricted Player."
• Highlights:
  • January 2022: Scored 12 points in a win against Melbourne United.
  • October 2022: Scored a season-high 16 points against the New Zealand Breakers.
  • January 2023: Matched his season-high of 16 points in another game against the Breakers.
• April 2022: Declared for the NBA draft but went undrafted. Returned to Adelaide for another season.
• February 2023: Announced his departure from Adelaide to join an overseas team.

Hiroshima Dragonflies (2023)

• February 2023: Signed with the Hiroshima Dragonflies in Japan's B.League.
• Highlights:
  • March 2023: Recorded his first double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds against the Ibaraki Robots.
  • May 2023: Extended his contract with Hiroshima but had an opt-out clause for the NBA.
• June 2023: Invited by the Orlando Magic to play in the NBA Summer League.
  • Summer League Debut: Scored 6 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 blocks against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Yokohama B-Corsairs (2023-present)

• December 2023: Joined Yokohama B-Corsairs on loan.
• February 2024: Scored a career-high 26 points and 11 rebounds in a win over the Chiba Jets.

National Team Career

● Junior Teams:

• 2017 SEABA Under-16 Championship: Helped the Philippines win gold, averaging 16.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 3 blocks per game.
• 2018 FIBA Under-16 Asian Championship: Led the team to fourth place and was named to the Mythical First Team.
• 2018 FIBA Under-17 World Cup: Averaged 16.4 points and 10.6 rebounds, leading his team to 13th place.
• 2019 FIBA Under-19 World Cup: Averaged 11.7 points and 7.9 rebounds, finishing with the highest blocks per game.

● Senior Team:

• 2021 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers: Included in the final lineup.
• 2022: Played in the 2023 FIBA World Cup qualifiers.
• 2023: Selected for the final 12-man lineup for the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

Kai Sotto Career Stats

Here are the Tallest PBA player's career stats as per the PBA News 2024.

Kai Sotto Career Achievements

UAAP

• UAAP Season 81 Juniors Mythical Five (2018)
• UAAP Season 81 Juniors MVP (2018)
• UAAP Season 80 Juniors Finals MVP (2017)
• UAAP Season 80 Juniors Mythical Five (2017)
• UAAP Season 79 Juniors Rookie of the Year (2016)

Australian National Basketball League

• NBL Fans MVP (2022, 2023)

Philippine National Team

• 2017 FIBA Under-16 Asian Championship Mythical First Team
• Gold medal at the 2017 SEABA Under-16 Championship

List of current 15 Tallest Players in the PBA

Here is the list of the 15 tallest PBA players according to the PBA News 2024 who are currently part of the Philippines Basketball Association alongside their teams, nationality, and achievements.