Gilas Pilipinas’ Dwight Ramos receives a birthday cake on the court following the win over China in the Fiba World Cup classification at Araneta Coliseum. -MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — It was a double celebration for Dwight Ramos, who turned 25 years old on Saturday night.
Ramos celebrated his birthday by helping Gilas Pilipinas end its Fiba World Cup 2023 campaign with a win in front of his family, which was among the 11,000 fans at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Shortly after the game, Ramos even received a birthday cake while he and the rest of Gilas were still on the court.
“Of course, everybody was there. My family was there, the whole stadium was singing happy birthday so I could not ask for more and we won,” Ramos told reporters. “It’s a little extra. Everything. A win, the whole crowd’s here, and my whole family’s in the crowd so I have everything.”
The 6-foot-4 guard was again a key contributor for Gilas, collecting 11 points, five rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block as the Philippines took down China, 96-75.
“Finally, one out of five? One out of five? At least we didn’t go without a win so I’m happy about that,” Ramos said. “ I think even before the game, the mood was a lot lighter, people didn’t feel so pressured and I think it showed on the court. Everyone was contributing. It was a good team win and [Jordan Clarkson] carried us and that’s how we should play every time.”
“I think it was just a team effort. Everyone came out confident and played freely. I think that’s what coach wanted from us from the beginning. There’s a lot of ups and downs, a lot of people talking, it kinda got to people, and I’m just glad to see my teammates out there doing well and playing confidently so I was happy to see that,” he added.
Gilas Pilipinas’ Dwight Ramos. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
Ramos had a lot of takeaways in his first Fiba World Cup which he believes helped him become a better player heading into his third season in the Japan B.League.
“It’s a really great experience. It’s my first World Cup and I’m gonna take all these games, all these players I’ve played against and had to guard and hopefully it helps me have a great B.League season this year. That’s what I’m hoping for,” said Ramos, who plays for Levanga Hokkaido after signing an extension with the team last June.
“It feels good. There’s a lot of good players, high-level basketball, and I’m coming into the B.League season with a lot of confidence and it should be good,” added Ramos, who won’t be available for Gilas in the Asian Games in China set later this month due to conflict in schedule with the B.League.
Ramos, the lone Gilas member who played in all Fiba qualifying windows, also extended his gratitude to the fans, who rallied behind Gilas throughout the tournament.
“All the games here in Araneta were super loud just because it’s not too big and the crowd is just loud and everyone’s giving good energy, just happy to see it,” Ramos said. “Thank you for your support. The game was sold out. Even though we didn’t win the games before this win and there’s a typhoon and everything, so we really appreciate all the support even though it was a disappointing World Cup, but we ended it well. “