Justin Brownlee says Kai Sotto 'good enough to play in the NBA' after career night vs. New Zealand

In the Philippines' historic 93-89 home stand win over New Zealand, Kai Sotto stood the tallest. 

The 7-foot-3 young big man erupted for a career-high 19 points that he laced with 10 rebounds, seven assists, two blocks, and one steal to steer Gilas Pilipinas to its maiden victory over the Tall Blacks as they preserved their immaculate record in the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers on Thursday at the Mall of Asia Arena. 

These numbers, for Justin Brownlee, are good enough for the Filipino bruiser to be setting foot in the NBA. 

"Man, I’ve been saying it: I feel like he’s good enough to play in the NBA, in my opinion," Brownlee said.

"Of course he got the height, he got the size, and the skills but he’s been improving so much. For me, it’s just great to see a young player like him with so much potential. 

Sotto tried his luck in the NBA back in 2022, but went undrafted in his bid to become the first homegrown Filipino to ever see action in probably the biggest basketball league in the world. 

While his first attempt went down the drain, Brownlee believes the 22-year-old big man has improved a lot in a span of two years. 

That stretch witnessed Sotto suit up in multiple international games for the Philippines, including the 2023 FIBA World Cup, the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, and the ongoing Asia Cup qualifiers, all of which saw him progress. 

Sotto was only averaging six points and four rebounds in the World Cup which the country hosted last year, while he posted averages of 11 markers and similar four boards in the OQT. 

In the Asia Cup qualifiers, he is currently averaging 16.7 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 4.3 assists. 

For Brownlee, there's nowhere to go but up for the wunderkind from here on out. 

"He has a long way to go, he’s only early 20s. I’m happy for his progression and I’m excited to see what the future holds for him," Brownlee said. 

"He does a lot of things very well, shooting, passing. He can do everything on the court. He’s 7-foot-3 and he can do everything. He definitely makes the game a lot easier for everybody."

—JKC, GMA Integrated News