Young Filipino-American basketball sensation Dwight Ramos announced on Friday, September 10, that he has signed with the Toyama Grouses in the Japan B. League.  

Specifics of the deal were not disclosed by either Ramos or his new team, which finished as one of the top clubs in Division 1 of the 2020-2021 B. League season.

This development makes Ramos, 23, the eighth blue-chip talent from the Philippines to test his luck in Japan’s premier basketball tournament, joining the likes of  Thirdy Ravena (San-En), Kiefer Ravena (Shiga), Juan Gomez de Liaño (Tokyo Z), Javi Gomez de Liaño (Ibakari), Kemark Cariño (Aomori), Bobby Ray Parks (Nagoya), and most recently, Kobe Paras.

Ramos, who committed to join the Ateneo Blue Eagles in 2019, will end up not playing a single minute in the UAAP, but nevertheless had memorable moments as a key cog of the Philippine national team, Gilas Pilipinas, in their 2021 campaign, most notably in the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers against rival South Korea.

“I wish I had the chance to wear Ateneo blue and white in the UAAP. However, due to the circumstances surrounding the pandemic presently and in the foreseeable future, I have decided to take my next step in my growth as a person and as an athlete,” Ramos said in an Instagram post.

“I believe that the experience and competition level in the B. League will only allow me to become a better contributor to the Gilas program, which will continue to have my full commitment.”

✨🏀選手契約基本合意🐔✨
このたび富山グラウジーズでは、#ドワイトラモス 選手とのB.LEAGUE 2021-22シーズンの選手契約が基本合意に達しましたので、お知らせいたします！！！
👉https://t.co/u5GGzBU8Cm#初のアジア特別枠 #富山グラウジーズ #喰らいつけ #Bリーグ pic.twitter.com/lKAJv30d26

— 富山グラウジーズ (@toyamagrouses) September 10, 2021

A California kid who grew up idolizing Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, Ramos now joins a Toyama side that finished with the fourth-best record (39-21) in the East district last season. The Grouses’ playoff run ended in a tightly contested three-game quarterfinals against the Ryukyu Golden Kings.

With Toyama now in the West district, Ramos will play in the same conference as the Ravenas (San-En and Shiga) and Parks (Nagoya). 

Dwight, a prolific scorer with impressive pick-and-roll mastery, will add firepower to a Grouses squad which led the B. League in scoring (88.9PPG) last season, as per Real GM. Toyama also ranked fifth in three-point shooting (37%) and tied for sixth in assists (20.7), two important basketball attributes that Ramos has proven he can excel in.

Toyama makes its season debut on October 2 against Shinshu.

– Rappler.com