CHICAGO – Twenty-five days after a cruel twist of fate, Kai Sotto will undergo reconstructive surgery on Thursday (Manila time) to repair the torn ACL on his left knee, sources in Japan told me on Thursday morning.

The 7-foot-3 center checked into a Tokyo hospital on Wednesday to prep for the procedure. Barring any complications, God forbid, exhaustive therapy begins as soons as in a few days.

So tomorrow is the beginning of the rest of Kai Sotto’s basketball life.

In the welter of growing speculations regarding the length of time the Gilas stalwart will miss off the court, his camp clarified that “we don’t know the true timetable.”

How an athlete copes with the physical, mental and emotional effects of going under the knife is tricky, unpredictable. Some heal faster than others.

But having lived most of his adult life under the searing spotlight of fame and celebrity, there is optimism that Kai has the facility to emerge from this debacle just fine.

“Kai will be back quicker,” a person with knowledge of the situation told SPIN.ph.

IF THERE’S A WILL THERE’S A WAY.

Advances in modern medicine and Kai’s relentless spirit to overcome what he described as “maybe the darkest day of my basketball career” fuels optimism of a more abrupt return to action.

And we reinforce that hopefulness with prayers for brighter days ahead.

Before fate rudely interrupted, Kai Sotto was having a season to remember with the Koshigaya Alphas of the Japan B League where he was tearing through the competition with averages of 13.8 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 12 games.

He was also shooting a monstrous 52.8 percent from the field. And then the knee buckled. And so here we are.

While the ligament will eventually heal and strengthen in time, what this injury really stole from Kai is time.

The rehab and recovery will push grand plans aside including reaching the NBA, a dream that was gaining positive traction after Sotto’s remarkable performance at the Olympic Qualifying Tournament last July.

Thank goodness Kai is only 22 years young.

Which means that whenever he comes back from this forgettable episode, it won’t be too late to press the reset button and finish what he started.