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I still remember the first time I saw PJ Ramos step onto the PBA court - this towering 7'4" center from Puerto Rico who immediately changed the physical landscape of Philippine basketball. Having followed the PBA for over two decades, I've witnessed numerous imports come and go, but Ramos left a distinctive mark that went beyond his impressive statistics. His career here wasn't just about numbers; it was about how he embodied a certain basketball philosophy that resonated deeply with Filipino fans who live and breathe the sport.

When Ramos joined the PBA, he brought something we desperately needed - that raw, physical presence in the paint that made everyone recalibrate their game plans. I recall watching him dominate the boards while maintaining this incredible humility that's rare for players of his caliber. His approach reminded me of his own words during an interview where he emphasized grounded realism over empty confidence. "Listen, we are playing every time to win, but we don't just play against ourselves. Indonesia, we never beat in our life. We have to be with our feet on the floor, not flying," he once stated. This mindset, this refusal to get carried away by hype, perfectly captured why Ramos connected so well with the Philippine basketball culture. We Filipinos appreciate confidence, but we respect humility and practicality even more.

What many casual observers miss when discussing Ramos's impact is how he transformed the way local big men approached the game. Before his arrival in 2015, our centers tended to rely heavily on finesse and outside shooting. Ramos demonstrated that you could combine size with skill, strength with strategy. During his stint with TNT KaTropa, he averaged around 28 points and 18 rebounds per game - numbers that still impress me when I look back at old stat sheets. But beyond statistics, he showed our players how to use their bodies effectively without sacrificing basketball IQ. I've spoken with several local players who admitted studying Ramos's footwork and positioning, elements that don't always show up in highlight reels but fundamentally improve a player's effectiveness.

The Ramos era coincided with what I consider a pivotal transition period for Philippine basketball. We were beginning to compete more regularly against international teams, and his presence gave us a reference point for what world-class interior play looked like. His influence extended beyond the PBA, affecting how our national team approached player development. I firmly believe that the emergence of our current generation of big men - players like June Mar Fajardo and Christian Standhardinger - benefited from having templates like Ramos to study and learn from. They saw how a dominant center could control games without necessarily being the primary scorer every night.

Looking back, Ramos's legacy isn't just in the championships or individual accolades, though he certainly collected his share. It's in the subtle shift he inspired in our basketball mentality. He proved that you could be physically imposing while maintaining strategic discipline, that you could dominate games while staying grounded. His career here demonstrated that the best imports aren't necessarily the highest scorers, but those who leave the game better than they found it. Even now, when I watch PBA games, I see traces of his influence in how our big men establish position, how they read double teams, how they balance aggression with intelligence. That, to me, represents the truest measure of his impact on Philippine basketball legacy - not just what he accomplished, but what he inspired others to achieve.