After winning the Summoner’s Cup with FunPlus Phoenix earlier this year, many people believed that superstar mid laner Kim “Doinb” Tae-sang was going to hang up the keyboard and mouse and retire from the competitive League of Legends scene. But a new article written by the 23-year-old on The Players’ Tribune today dispelled all notions of that idea.
“I don’t know how much longer I’ll be playing this game, but for as long as I physically and mentally have the ability to compete at this level, I cannot stop,” Doinb said. “I won’t stop training. I won’t stop dreaming of LoL. It’s simply too fun.”
Doinb considered retiring in 2016 due to a lack of success in his career up to that point. He had just been demoted to QG Reapers’ secondary squad and he wasn’t even playing matches. He “didn’t know who [he] was” if he wasn’t playing League since the game was such a huge part of his life.
The only reason why he didn’t quit was because of his wife, Li Youzi. Doinb said she’s always been his biggest fan. Whether it was in the LPSL or at Worlds, she was always cheering for him on the sidelines. She was also able to convince him to keep playing League for a while longer, which led him to join FPX.
When he joined FPX, more problems began to surface. Increasing back and neck issues threatened to end his career, but the team provided Doinb with physical therapy whenever he wasn’t training. In fact, the team “offered to do whatever it took to help get [him] back in the game.”
There were so many obstacles that could have derailed one of the best esports stories of the year. What if Doinb decided to retire in 2016? What if his injuries forced him to take longer breaks and prevented him from competing with FPX? We’ll never know the answer to these questions, however, because of his willpower, strength, and a great support system that helped Doinb along the way.
Next year, Worlds will be held in China, where the LPL will look to defend its crown and try to capture its third championship in a row. Will Doinb and the rest of FPX rise to the occasion and bring glory to the region once again? Next year has the potential to be another incredible competitive League season.
