Ramon Ramos
Encyclopedia
Ramon Ramos Manso (born November 1, 1967) is a retired Puerto Rican
basketball
player, both on the National Superior Basketball and National Basketball Association
level. He studied in Puerto Rico on Colegio San Jose
and in the United States
on Seton Hall University
where he is a basketball legend.
's national youth (under 21) team that won the gold medal at the Centrobasket Under 21 competition, by beating the team from Cuba
, 94-78 in Caguas
.
Ramos helped the Indios to the finals in 1988, where they lost to the Vaqueros de Bayamon, 4 games to 3. That same year he played in the 1988 Summer Olympics
in Seoul, Korea. In 1989, the Indios reached the quarterfinals.
from the Big East Conference
. He was selected to the All-Big East First Team during the 1988-89 season and to the Big East All-Tournament Team during the 1988 and 1989 tournaments. In his last season in Seton Hall he led the Pirates to their first NCAA tournament title game
ever, where they lost to the University of Michigan Wolverines
by 1 point, 80-79.
Ramos was not drafted in the 1989 NBA draft
, but signed with the Portland Trail Blazers
as a free agent. Ramos made the Blazers roster but started the season on the injured list with a knee injury. He was activated on December 5, 1989, but did not appear in any of the next six games.
, against Golden State
, Ramos's car skidded off the freeway as he was driving home. Ramos was injured badly, and he was in a coma for three months. The news was covered by all newspapers, and television
channels kept updates about Ramos's condition. Some television entertainers asked the public to pray for Ramos. A minute of silence and prayer was held at many activities throughout the island that day.
Because of tendinitis, he started the 1989-90 season on the injured list. He had just been activated but had not played in a game yet before the career-ending accident. While he waged a battle for survival, his NBA Finals-bound Blazers teammates dedicated their season to him. His locker remained in place, complete with his game uniform, that season and for several seasons to follow.
During the summer of 1991, more than 20,000 fans turned out to help the Trail Blazers raise $130,000 at Slam ‘N Jam, an outdoor basketball and music event in what is now PGE Park in Portland, Oregon for a trust fund to assist Ramon’s recovery. Players from throughout the NBA came to play in the benefit game. Ramos and his parents were special guests and drew a long, standing ovation when they were introduced.
Ramos has difficulty walking and doing everyday things, and he requires constant supervision by his parents. His story has been shown several times in Puerto Rican and American
television.
In February 2006, Ramos returned to New Jersey for the first time since his days at Seton Hall, as he was inducted into the school's athletic Hall of Fame.
Puerto Rican people
A Puerto Rican is a person who was born in Puerto Rico.Puerto Ricans born and raised in the continental United States are also sometimes referred to as Puerto Ricans, although they were not born in Puerto Rico...
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player, both on the National Superior Basketball and National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
level. He studied in Puerto Rico on Colegio San Jose
Colegio San José
Colegio San José is a college-preparatory catholic school for boys in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. It is a fully accredited Catholic college preparatory school for young men, grades 7 to 12, which develops capable, responsible and sensitive Christian leaders, committed to the service of God and neighbor...
and in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on Seton Hall University
Seton Hall University
Seton Hall University is a private Roman Catholic university in South Orange, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1856 by Archbishop James Roosevelt Bayley, Seton Hall is the oldest diocesan university in the United States. Seton Hall is also the oldest and largest Catholic university in the...
where he is a basketball legend.
Career in Puerto Rico
Ramos began to play in 1985 for the Indios de Canovanas franchise, as a bench player. Eventually, he became an important key to the success of the Indios of the late 1980s. In 1987, Ramos played on Puerto RicoPuerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
's national youth (under 21) team that won the gold medal at the Centrobasket Under 21 competition, by beating the team from Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, 94-78 in Caguas
Caguas, Puerto Rico
Caguas , founded in 1775, is a city and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the Central Mountain Range of Puerto Rico, south of San Juan and Trujillo Alto, west of Gurabo and San Lorenzo, east of Aguas Buenas, Cidra, and Cayey....
.
Ramos helped the Indios to the finals in 1988, where they lost to the Vaqueros de Bayamon, 4 games to 3. That same year he played in the 1988 Summer Olympics
Puerto Rico at the 1988 Summer Olympics
Puerto Rico competed at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, Korea.-Archery:In the fourth time this U.S. territory competed in archery at the Olympics, Puerto Rico entered one man and one woman.Women's Individual Competition:...
in Seoul, Korea. In 1989, the Indios reached the quarterfinals.
Career in College and NBA
Ramos played for the Seton Hall University PiratesSeton Hall University
Seton Hall University is a private Roman Catholic university in South Orange, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1856 by Archbishop James Roosevelt Bayley, Seton Hall is the oldest diocesan university in the United States. Seton Hall is also the oldest and largest Catholic university in the...
from the Big East Conference
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
. He was selected to the All-Big East First Team during the 1988-89 season and to the Big East All-Tournament Team during the 1988 and 1989 tournaments. In his last season in Seton Hall he led the Pirates to their first NCAA tournament title game
1989 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1989 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 16, 1989, and ended with the championship game on April 3 in Seattle, Washington...
ever, where they lost to the University of Michigan Wolverines
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
by 1 point, 80-79.
Ramos was not drafted in the 1989 NBA draft
1989 NBA Draft
The 1989 NBA Draft took place on June 27, 1989 in New York City, New York, USA. It has been regarded as one of the worst drafts in NBA history, along with the 1986 NBA Draft and the 2000 NBA Draft. Though the draft produced talented players such as Shawn Kemp, Glen Rice, Sean Elliott, Nick...
, but signed with the Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
as a free agent. Ramos made the Blazers roster but started the season on the injured list with a knee injury. He was activated on December 5, 1989, but did not appear in any of the next six games.
Accident
On December 16, 1989, however, all that changed drastically. After the Trail Blazers' game in PortlandPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, against Golden State
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, Ramos's car skidded off the freeway as he was driving home. Ramos was injured badly, and he was in a coma for three months. The news was covered by all newspapers, and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
channels kept updates about Ramos's condition. Some television entertainers asked the public to pray for Ramos. A minute of silence and prayer was held at many activities throughout the island that day.
Because of tendinitis, he started the 1989-90 season on the injured list. He had just been activated but had not played in a game yet before the career-ending accident. While he waged a battle for survival, his NBA Finals-bound Blazers teammates dedicated their season to him. His locker remained in place, complete with his game uniform, that season and for several seasons to follow.
Recovery and later years
Ramos was flown to Puerto Rico by an air-ambulance, alongside his close relatives. About one year later, he began to make progress, drifting in and out of his coma, but still being in a semi-vegetative state. He regained his speech, but, because of his condition, sometimes he would start to say profanities to news reporters that informed the public about him.During the summer of 1991, more than 20,000 fans turned out to help the Trail Blazers raise $130,000 at Slam ‘N Jam, an outdoor basketball and music event in what is now PGE Park in Portland, Oregon for a trust fund to assist Ramon’s recovery. Players from throughout the NBA came to play in the benefit game. Ramos and his parents were special guests and drew a long, standing ovation when they were introduced.
Ramos has difficulty walking and doing everyday things, and he requires constant supervision by his parents. His story has been shown several times in Puerto Rican and American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television.
In February 2006, Ramos returned to New Jersey for the first time since his days at Seton Hall, as he was inducted into the school's athletic Hall of Fame.