Saipan masters cager meets NBA prospect

It’s not often that you meet an NBA prospect, but that’s exactly what happened to masters player Amor Zapata during his vacation in the Philippines last month.

The 54-year-old nurse at Hardt Eye Clinic bumped into Kai Sotto, the 7’3” center of Gilas Pilipinas who saw action for the Orlando Magic in the just concluded NBA Summer League, during his and his wife’s checkup at St. Luke’s Bonifacio Global City.

“I actually didn’t notice him immediately as I didn’t have my glasses on, but my wife Ann noticed a very tall person. They were eating breakfast and we just also came down to order breakfast,” said Zapata.

He said what stood out immediately with Sotto—well aside from his 7’3” frame—was his great attitude when it comes to treating fans like him.

“Very friendly, very humble kid, and all smiles. He’s very accommodating and he gives time to everyone who wants to take a photo with him. I just greeted him how he was. He said he’s fine. I told him that I saw his games in the NBA Summer League with the Orlando Magic and that he did great and told him ‘just keep on going and just keep playing.’ He said ‘thank you, thank you’ and we took a photo,” said Zapata, who in his Facebook posts with the giant only came up to around Sotto’s sternum.

Zapata also didn’t mince words against critics of the Philippine basketball wunderkind. 

“Just disappointing that Kai has a lot of bashers. But he is only 21 years old. Please give him a break! My encounter with him was very inspiring and the biggest takeaway was how humble he was.”

Zapata currently is on the lineup of Legends in the Inaugural SMEC-SMLEC Invitational Basketball Tournament 2023.

He’s been playing in basketball leagues on Saipan since 1998 and has won one championship in a squad that included past basketball greats Ed Palma and Ronald Delos Reyes. 

Zapata played varsity in high school at Holy Ghost School in Tayum, Abra. He finished his nursing degree at Unciano Colleges in Antipolo, Rizal.