KUNG si three-time NBA champion assistant coach Phil Handy ng Los Angeles Lakers ang tatanungin, maaaring si Kai Sotto na ang maging kauna-unahang homegrown Filipino player sa NBA.

Naniniwala si Handy na ang 7-3 Filipino center mula Las Piñas ay may sapat na talento at kakayahan na makapaglaro sa NBA.

“I believe he’s very talented. I’ve had a chance to watch him play for a couple of years. He’s naturally gifted. He spent some time down in Australia, and that really helped develop his game,” pahayag ni Handy sa panayam sa kanyang Phil Handy Philippine tour press conference sa Shangri-La Hotel sa BGC, Taguig.

Gayunman, sinabi ni Handy na may tamang panahon para matupad ang mga pangarap ni Sotto.

“I don’t believe in putting timelines on athletes. It could be this summer, it could be next year. It really just depends on the opportunity,” paliwanag ni Handy, na nagsilbi ding import sa National Basketball League (NBL), na kung saan unang nagpakitang gilas si Sotto

“Sometimes, players’ opportunities come at different times. The advice I would give Kai and other Filipino players is to keep working, keep playing, and keep being ready for the opportunity.”

Binigyang pansin din ni Handy, na pumirma ng three-year contract extension sa Lakers nung nakalipas na taon, ang popularidad ng basketball sa buong bansa.

Kinilala din niya ang Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), na isang respetadong ĺiga na kung saan naglaro ang mga magagaling na basketbolistang Pilipino

“I know that the PBA is a very good league. It’s got a great reputation and a lot of guys come here and play for many years and the culture of basketball here is very strong. I’ve always heard that the love for the game of basketball, Philippines is at a high level,” dagdag ng 51-taong gulang na si Handy.

“So it’s an absolute pleasure for me to be here, to be able to share and learn.This is a different culture of basketball. So my thing of being able to get around in the offseason to see as many different places.

I can and work with as many different coaches and many different athletes as I can,” paliwanag ni Handy, na msmas lalong kilala bilang personal trainer ng mga NBA legends na sina Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Kyrie Irving and many others.

Nakatakda ding ibahagi ni Handy ang kanyang mga kaalaman sa Converge FiberXers sa PBA.

Ang pagbisita ni Handy ay itinaguyod ng CST Accountants and Advisors, na may mga opisina din sa Sydney, Los Angeles, New York, London at Pilipinas.