Jamal's Moment: The Misfortune of 'Party John'

I held onto hope for Peter John Ramos for an unreasonably long time.

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Ernie Grunfeld selected Ramos 32^nd overall in the 2004 NBA draft, his first as President of Basketball Operations with the Washington Wizards.  Grunfeld had a relatively solid draft history prior to assuming his role with the Wizards, but one of his more noteworthy accomplishments was selecting Michael Redd 43^rd overall in the 2000 NBA draft.  I was hoping Ramos would be a similar fortune.

I was wrong.

Prior to logging any significant minutes in the NBA, Ramos began to get swallowed up by the Washington, D.C. night life.  He got tagged with the nickname “Party John” and was present in the car with then rookie Andray Blatche when he was shot in a botched car-jacking.

During the 2004-2005 NBA season, Ramos saw on-the-court action only six times, averaging 1.8 points per game, 0.7 rebounds per game, and 0.2 blocks per game. 

His first action of note was on November 9, 2004 in a road game against the Miami Heat.  I was on business travel in Anaheim, CA when I received a text message from my buddy.  Ramos was “goin’ off”, he said.  Since I couldn’t see the game, I assumed it was in jest.

In that game, Ramos would go on to log career highs in points (6) and rebounds (1). The remainder of his rookie season was equally unspectacular, as he’d spend the majority of the year inactive.

Ramos’s second season in Washington was also uneventful, as he’d bounce between the team and their D-League affiliate, Roanoke Dazzle.  He’d average nearly 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game with the Dazzle, but would fail to play a game for the Wizards.

During the 2006 training camp, then Wizards coach Eddie Jordan stated in an interview that Ramos was no longer in the team’s plans.  I was devastated.  Despite his size (7’3”, 290 lbs.), Ramos lacked the understanding of the NBA game necessary to win favor with the Wizards coaching staff.

Ramos was waived before the season started. 

Since his departure from the NBA, Ramos has had another run in the D-League, and also played professionally in Spain, South Korea, and Puerto Rico.