DWIGHT Ramos relished the opportunity to be teammates again with Juan Gomez De Liano at Gilas Pilipinas.
It’s been half a decade since the two donned the national colors together playing for former national coach Tab Baldwin.
De Liano was the latest addition to the Gilas team after the coaching staff under Tim Cone tapped the Converge rookie guard along with young big man Quentin Millora-Brown to be part of the pool for the opening window of the FIBA World Cup qualifiers beginning this week.
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The 26-year-old Gomez De Liano has been going great guns with the FiberXers that Ramos wasn’t surprised when the former University of the Philippines Maroons stalwart got a call-up for the national team.
Ramos went to the extent of referring to Gomez De Liano as ‘like a prime James Harden.’
“He’s got the step back, he’s lefty, and he can do it all,” said the Fil-Am guard of Gomez De Liano’s similarities with the NBA great playing for the Los Angeles Clippers.
During the time he got to play alongside the brother of Magnolia forward Javi Gomez De Liano, Ramos said he didn’t doubt Juan would find his way back to the national team again especially after his international stint playing in the Japan B. League, Lithuanian Basketball League, and the Korean Basketball League before finally returning home to settle in the PBA.
“He always got the skills, talent, and it’s just a matter of the opportunity coming to him,” said Ramos, 27, who plays for the Levanga, Hokkaido in the B. League. “He kept working, and when he got to the PBA, he start showing his skills. That’s why he’s here (Gilas).”
Dwight said working with Gomez De Liano five years ago was a special one for him.
“We’re on the same team when I made my debut,” he said of his first-ever stint as part of the national team. “It’s the first one we’re together. March 2020.”
That team handled by Baldwin played during the 2020-21 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers amid the pandemic.
Apart from Ramos and Gomez De Liano, also part of that team were Calvin Oftana, Javi Gomez De Liano, Jaydee Tungcab, Justine Baltazar, Kemark Carino, Isaac Go, William Navarro, Rey Suerte, Dave Ildefonso, Kobe Paras, Mike Nieto, Matt Nieto, and Allyn Bulanadi.
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