A great look at the harsh reality of being a pro on the biggest stages and something we should all think about when it comes to following these player's careers.
Also a reason why I root for Tarzan at every turn. This man went from being the punchline to being an LPL champion.
AL Tarzan on the backlash he received from LNG vs T1 Worlds23
"In the past, I never read about public opinions. Because as pro player, if you play well, you will be praised. If you don't, you get flamed. It feels like a normal thing to me. But one day, my agency called me and told me that LNG want to terminate my contract. They said the public opinions on me were too horrible. After I heard that, I panicked. I was very lost. Because I never faced situation like this before. During the offseason in 2023, it's already too late and there weren't many options left on top teams. So I went back to Korea. Ever since I started playing League, I haven't not play the game for over a month. But at that time, I thought about retiring. In that BO5, we were behind so many times so I felt like I had to create new openings and change the (in game) vibe. Otherwise, we would be more behind and lose the game. I had those thoughts on my mind. But under that pressure, I made so many mistakes that I didn't expect. I think pro players have to accept being criticized about their underperformance. I play for my org and for my region. I go out to compete, betting on the name Tarzan. I had and only had the desire to win, nothing else. Actually, when it comes to losing games like this, for all pro players, including me, that day and many days after that, when I close my eyes and prepare to sleep, those moments of failures keep coming to my mind to the extend that I can not sleep. It was really painful. I don't know how to describe it. But there were truly so many moments of suffering. For pro player, winning is my goal. It's also my pride."