How Dwight Ramos Keeps It Together Off the Court

Dwight Ramos woke up sick on the morning of one of Gilas Pilipinas’ biggest games. It was not exactly ideal timing, as the Philippines needed a win against Iran to keep its hopes of qualifying for the next World Cup alive, and Ramos was scrambling to figure out how he could feel well enough to play. He tried to sleep and wait for his body to cooperate, but suiting up was never really in question, “I knew I was gonna play regardless,” he says.

He eventually made it onto the floor and, despite feeling terrible earlier that day, hit the three that put Gilas ahead 57–54 before adding another jumper late in the fourth. Ramos remembers the game as a must-win: “We can’t really lose any games if we want to make the next World Cup.”

For all the physical demands of a night like that, there is something ordinary about the way he prepared for it. A few hours before representing the country, he is still just trying to feel better, get some sleep, and get himself together. And on a normal day, that routine gets even simpler.

Before games, Ramos likes to shave. Ideally, there is a fresh haircut, too. If not, he just makes sure his hair looks clean and put together, and his reason for this is straightforward. “When you look good, you feel good. And when you feel good, you play good.”

The same thinking follows him off the court. Between games, practices, airports, and a life spent moving between countries, Ramos has learned to keep a few familiar things close. His toiletries—shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, deodorant—travel with him, too. In Japan especially, he says it is easier to bring the products he already uses than to look for replacements every time.

That is where keeping the routine familiar matters. His go-to stash includes the CLEAR Men Active Oil Control and CLEAR Men Hair Fall Defense Shampoo, which fit naturally into his line-up. There is no grand philosophy behind it, and Dwight just knows what works for him and would rather not reinvent his shower routine every time he crosses a border.

Basketball takes up a lot of Ramos’s life, and when he gets away from it, he seems pretty happy doing the opposite. At home, there are movies, video games, and good food. On an ideal weekend, he says he would rather be at a lake or the beach, cooking something on a barbecue, without a complicated itinerary. “I just like to spend my time being outdoors and enjoying life,” he says. 

It sounds almost too simple, which is probably why it works. There is something reassuring about having a few things you can control when the rest of your life involves airports, hotels, practices, games, and constantly changing schedules.

And despite spending most of his professional life training, his version of recoveryRecoveryThe period after exercise during which the body repairs and strengthens itself through rest, sleep, nutrition, and hydration. Recovery is when fitness gains actually happen, and ignoring it can leadGo to Recovery Glossary still involves some movement: working out, going to the sauna, and taking a cold plunge. Even when he is tired, he says he will sometimes book a sauna simply because it helps him feel better the following day. 

That instinct—to keep showing up, even when nobody is watching—is familiar to Ramos. In college, when he was barely getting minutes, he would still return to the gym after games, lift weights, or get up for extra shooting at 5 a.m. He kept working because he wanted to be ready whenever his opportunity came. These days, the stakes are very different, but the routine remains.

There is the player people see under the arena lights, and then there is the guy who goes home, turns on a movie, washes his hair, eats something good, and occasionally disappears from his phone on an off day. For someone whose job is to stay ready for the next game, knowing when to switch off might be part of the job, too.

Presented by Clear Men.

SHOOT CREDITS:

Story by GABRIEL YAP. Photographs by BORGY ANGELES. Styling by GENO ESPIDOL. Makeup: XENG ZULUETA. Hair: JA FELICIANO. Photographer’s Assistant: ROJ MAGUYON. Videographer: ROBYN JOSUE. Videographer’s Assistant: YOBHEL VALENZUELA. Styling Assistant: NIÑA CUYANA. Set Design: AD SET. Producer: KEVIN GONZALES. Multimedia Artist: SARAH EL-ALI. Creative Services Manager: IAN URMAZA. Project Implementer: CHLOE MADLANGBAYAN