Whenever PBA officials go to sleep, they probably have Ramos in their dreams playing for one of the most marketable franchises in the league. But that’s just not the case. Ramos might never play in the PBA because he obviously likes where he’s now professionally. Just shortly after Gilas finished their schedule at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, Dwight Ramos traveled back to Japan where he’s been plying his trade since 2021. 

He’s played long enough in the Land of the Rising Sun to know that the B.League is doing plenty of things right to the benefit of Japan’s national team.

“Of course, I was hoping that I could’ve been in the Olympics. But I was glad that if it wasn’t the Philippines, it was Japan, because I’ve seen for three years now how the level of play just keeps on improving here,” Ramos said on Wednesday when he spoke in front of reporters during Levanga Hokkaido’s press conference (via Rom Anzures of ABS-CBN News). 

“The league is so good, that’s why the Japanese national team just keeps on improving. Every year, they just keep on getting better,” Ramos added.

It’s hard to argue about the improvement of basketball in Japan considering that the Akatsuki Five grabbed the lone automatic berth for Asia in the 2024 Paris Olympics by finishing 19th at the recently concluded FIBA World Cup. Japan, even without Rui Hachimura, won three games, defeating Cape Verde, Venezuela, and Finland to run away with a ticket to the Olympics. As for Gilas, they finished 24th overall, with only a win to show at the expense of China.

While the B.League has seemingly taken several steps forward, the PBA continues to be pelted with criticisms about unfair trades and lack of parity, resulting fans getting alienated and dwindling public appeal.

When will the PBA wake up?