'We want Dwight' as crowd looks for injured Ramos

Dwight Ramos did not play in Gilas Pilipinas' match against Hong Kong in the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.

In his absence, the home crowd looked for the handsome and talented player, with some fans shouting 'We want Dwight' while he was on the bench.

However, Gilas head coach Tim Cone said Ramos has a calf injury.

"I remember there was a fan in the front row along the basket, and I told him he was injured and I can't play him. And he still kept saying, "We want Dwight. We want Dwight,'" narrated Cone.

"I love Dwight. I mean, I'm like all the girls. You know, I love Dwight," Cone said in jest.

"I just love him for different reasons, right? I mean, I love him for his basketball mind and his talent. He's got an incredible basketball mind. The girls like him for his looks."

Cone said as much as he wanted to give playing time to Ramos, the latter's trainers said he needs to rest.

"I can't like him for his looks. But I like him. I mean, I love him for his brain and basketball brain."

"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 from the fact that he had pulled his calf muscle in the late stages of the New Zealand game."

The idea of putting Ramos on the floor was floated, but Cone said he would rather keep the Gilas star safe.

"Even though I know the crowd would have loved it. Even Alfrancis Chua suggested, why don't we just put him in for 30 seconds and he can just stand in the corner of the court. And I go, I don't know if that'll work. So I didn't do that."

Gilas Pilipinas defeated Hong Kong, 93-54.

—GMA Integrated News