MANILA -- Retired Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki suggested a few things that Kai Sotto can do to improve his game and boost his chances of making it to the NBA.

“He gotta work on his skill,” said Nowtizki, one of the more skilled big men in the NBA. “Make your body strong to take the pounding in the NBA.”

The German scorer stands 7-foot-flat, but it was his shooting skills that helped him to become the league’s MVP in 2007 and an NBA champion with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011.

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“Work on the handles, work on the shots, on the post moves. It's hard because the skill level is very high in the NBA,” said Nowtizki.

Sotto is aspiring to become the first homegrown Filipino to make it to the NBA. He joined the 2022 NBA Draft but went unnoticed.

But hard work and tapping the best coaches are the sure fire ways of improving his game, said Nowitzki.

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“Everyday you gotta put in the work, have the right coaches to show the stuff. Just keep on working,” he said.

Nowitzki visited Manila to participate in the FIBA World Cup Draw that took place on Saturday.