GILAS Pilipinas coach Tim Cone stuck with his decision not to play Dwight Ramos in Sunday’s game against Hong Kong in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers due to a calf injury even with chants of ‘We Want Dwight’ ringing out at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Cone took the precautionary measure of not fielding in the charming Gilas guard after he suffered a strained calf during Thursday’s contest against New Zealand.
READ Dwight Ramos dressed but didn't play in Gilas game vs HK
Cone definitely heard the chants.
“I remember there was a fan on the front row along the basket, and I told him he was injured and can’t play him. And he still kept saying ‘We Want Dwight, ‘We Want Dwight,’” Cone said laughing.
But Cone said he resisted the call of fans as it was too risky to field Ramos especially since he will still play in the Japan B.League after this window.
Cone said Ramos tried to give it a go during practice on Saturday, but the strained calf affected his mobility.
“I love Dwight. I’m like all the girls, I love Dwight. I just love him for his basketball mind and his talent, he has an incredible basketball mind. Girls like him for his looks. I can’t like him for his looks. But I love him for his basketball brain,” said Cone.
“I more than anybody want to put him on the floor. I guarantee you that. I wasn’t holding him out for any other reason aside from the fact that he had pulled his calf muscle in the late stages of the New Zealand game,” said Cone.
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“He practiced yesterday, tried to practice yesterday, he tried to do our shootaround today. We weren’t sure until he came to the game. He said he will try to warm up and see how it was. But he was still feeling pain,” said Cone.
Cone said Gilas Pilipinas team manager Alfrancis Chua tried to talk him out of benching Ramos due to the injury.
“We felt that we can rest him and be careful with him in this game and that’s best for him because he is going to go back, play in Japan, and keep his career going. We don’t want to blow that calf out,” said Cone.
“Even Alfrancis Chua suggested, 'Why don't you just play him for 30 seconds and he can just stand in the corner of the court.' And I go, 'I don’t know if that will work.' I didn’t do that,” said Cone.
“I would have loved to play him but I was under orders from the training staff that he should not play. I’ve got to do what’s best for him, even though I know the crowd would have loved (him to play).”
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