Slowly achieving his dreams of making it to the NBA, the 18-year-old is hoping that others can follow in his footsteps.

The Filipino wunderkind is looking forward to hastening the process for young dreamers like him with the help of his sports academy, which will be located at the 1.3 million-square-foot Spooky Nook Sports Complex in Hamilton, Ohio.

“The idea is that the Kaiju Academy teaches these young athletes to play ‘like a beast’ on the court, and to be amazing men and women off the court. I want young men and young women to get the right experience, development, exposure, and mentorships to become their best true self both mentally and physically, and create an ecosystem of Kaijus that is healthy for all athletes and their families,” Sotto said.

“Kaiju is the Japanese term for monster, beast, strange creature, and it perfectly captures the ideal basketball competitor that I aim to be. Basketball isn’t easy and sometimes, it will knock you down more than it builds you up. I wanted my brand and my Academy to be about resilience,” he added.

Moreover, the Kaiju Academy is set to open in late 2021 and is touted to be the largest indoor sports complex in North America.

The sports academy will feature more than 20 basketball courts as well as football fields, an indoor rock climbing wall, an indoor track oval, batting cages, training staff, and an on-site hotel. 

It is the only venue expansive enough to accommodate basketball players from amateur to pro with passion as intense as their skills.

Meanwhile, former Gilas head coach Chot Reyes lauded the 7-foot-2 center for putting up a program like this that aims to help in the training of national teams who are willing to use the facility despite his young age.

“More and more teams internationally are looking to augment their off-season training with higher-level competition combined with elite type skills and development,” said Reyes. “The Kaiju Academy can also serve as a feeder system to identify and develop future national team players who were born in the U.S.,” said Reyes.

“It’s what I want my legacy to be and it’s imbedded deep in my soul,” said Sotto. “I want to give back to both young men and young women around the world who want to better themselves and reach their athletic dreams.”