Despite not yet playing a single UAAP game for Ateneo, Dwight Ramos has gained himself a following.
Besides his on-court prowess, his debonair looks have racked him up some fans.
And the 22-year-old, a transferee from Cal State Pomona, even has a nickname already — The Saint.
The monicker came about not because he is studying in a Jesuit institution, but because of a video that circulated on social media right after his perfect game against Thailand last November 27.
The video of social media sensation Hoopjunkie showed a fan during the 2019 Jesuit Athletic Meet in Xavier Ateneo last year praying on his back as if he was an icon.
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“I remember that in CDO, when we were playing at a gym, and there’s a lot of people actually came in the court. And I didn’t even notice what happened really until I turned my back,” recalled Ramos during an episode of The Prospects Pod, presented by SMART Sports.
“I thought that was super funny that he was praying over at my back. It’s really funny to see that after cause I didn’t notice it at the time they’re taking videos of that.”
He doesn’t mind the monicker, as even his Gilas teammates have one for him — Papa Dwight.
“Nickname niya sa amin Papa Dwight eh,” said fellow Gilas Cadet William Navarro.
Ramos simply feels humbled by the love he has received despite being in his motherland for just two years.
And he can’t wait to connect with the fans once everything gets back to normal.
“Everybody loves basketball here, so it just makes playing basketball more fun. And the people here are super nice, so I really like being here.”
Saint or Papa, one thing is for sure, the futures of Gilas and Ateneo are bright with Dwight.
