DWIGHT Ramos has certainly settled down in his role as the starting point guard for Gilas Pilipinas.
The Fil-Am skipper has fit like a glove to the system of coach Tim Cone, balling out in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Riga, Latvia in averaging 14 points on 46-percent shooting from deep, alongside six rebounds and four assists.
Ramos' performance has allowed him to achieve glory with the nationals - a far cry from his tough stint in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 last year.
After begging off from national team duties for the Hangzhou Asian Games due to his obligations with Levanga Hokkaido in the Japan B.League, the 6-foot-4 playmaker then watched from afar as Gilas won gold and ended a 61-year drought.
But he stressed that there's really no crying over spilled milk as he's just proud to see the Philippines reign atop Asian basketball again.
"I didn't really feel like I missed out. I'm just very happy for those who made it," he said.
"When I saw [Gilas] win the gold, I was just really happy. Like that was big time."
Dwight man for the job
Fast forward to the present and Ramos is now teammates with the core of that special group – and might just make another entry to the annals of Philippine basketball history.
READ: Gilas marches on to OQT semifinals after two-point loss to Georgia
Gilas, advancing to the semifinals of the Riga OQT, is just two wins away from clinching a spot in the Paris 2024 Olympics which would also snap a 52-year absence in the quadrennial meet.
Aware of these historical implications, Ramos kept it short and simple when it comes to his mentality game-in and game-out: "I'm always going for the win."
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