The Orlando Magic have invited 7-foot-3 Filipino center Kai Sotto to be part of their roster in the upcoming 2023 NBA Summer League, to be held on July 7-17 in Las Vegas, Nevada, according to the league's official Philippines page.
Sotto confirmed the news in a tweet yesterday after the 2023 NBA Draft. He was on the board for the 2022 NBA Draft but went undrafted.
The NBA Summer League is an off-season tournament organized by the league. Participating teams try out different summer rosters instead of regular season line-ups, including rookies, sophomores, and G League players.
There will be three different summer leagues in Sacramento, Salt Lake City, and Las Vegas this year.
The Nevada edition is the one officially hosted by the league. It is usually the most star-studded and draws larger crowds among the three. The summer leagues in Sacramento and Salt Lake City are hosted by their respective NBA teams, the Kings and Jazz.
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Kai Sotto Aims To Become First Homegrown Filipino NBA Player
Sotto has long aimed to become the first NBA player out of the Philippines.
Despite being a hoop-crazy nation with basketball courts seen almost everywhere, the country has yet to produce a homegrown talent that has made it into the world's premier basketball league.
Utah Jazz's Jordan Clarkson and Houston Rockets' Jalen Green are among the current NBA players with Filipino heritage, but they were primarily raised in the United States.
Clarkson has notably played for the Philippine national team with Sotto.
Raymond Townsend, who played in the league from 1978 to 1985, was the first NBA player of Filipino descent.
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