"An interview after losing? It's my first time ever doing one. It's rough."

Bang looked exhausted. 

When 100 Thieves first announced their 2019 roster, it received a lot of attention - with some fans even claiming that 100T will be a strong candidate to win the Spring Split. The reality was different, however. Having lost against Team Liquid, 100T lost their third consecutive game of the split. It was a result that no one expected, not even Bang himself.

"I got really angry playing today. Everyone needs to be playing in the same direction, but each player on the team had different opinions; they all wanted different things throughout the game. It's important that every player on a team share the same objective. We're still lacking as a team.

At first, I tried thinking positively. But after coming to NA, I realized that there are a lot of differences between this region and Korea. I couldn't stay positive all the time. We're still lacking team synergy, and it'll take some time for us to properly form one."

Objectively speaking, despite 100T's three consecutive defeats, Bang's performance as an individual was far from bad. Bang was even named MVP during his series against Golden Guardians the day after this interview was conducted. He is still in the process of getting used to the NA environment, and he still has a lot more to show to the fans. 

In order to lighten up the mood, I tried asking questions not related to the game; but Bang remained on the subject. He still had his strong competitive drive.

"After I joined 100T, I felt that I need to voice out my opinions more. The game I'm playing and the game that my teammates are playing are very different. Our goal is to win, and in order to win, you do anything that is necessary. The process of winning, that is something that we couldn't find an even ground on. 

When to wave clear, when to give priority to bot or top lane; everyone needs to communicate and come to an agreement. The game is constantly changing, so we need to hurry and fix our issues."

I then grew curious about his teamwork development with Aphromoo. Unlike Wolf, with whom Bang naturally spent a lot of time with, Aphromoo speaks a different language and is someone that grew in a completely different environment. What were Bang's thoughts?

"There aren't any real difficulties in terms of communication, but there are so many other things that we need to refine in-game. For each and every situation, everyone has a different opinion and a way to play the game. I want to hurry and fix this issue that we have. Neither Wolf nor I were better over the other as an individual, but we truly had synergy. There were a lot of times where Aphromoo and I weren't on the same page. We just began playing together, so we'll need time to work well together."

Seeing Bang struggle, I asked him straightforwardly. If he regrets coming to NA. Bang immediately answered.

"I'll know at the end of this year. I came to NA wanting to make better results than I had on SKT. I had a certain expectation for 100T, so I'll need to work harder moving forward. I also feel very sorry for the 100T fans. We should've prepared a lot more as a team before the split began. 

I felt quite frustrated after week 1 of the LCS. But things are steadily improving. I came here to become the best bot laner in NA. Please have faith in me and wait, and I'll return the favor with great plays. And as for the Korean fans, I'll say hello atop the stage at an international tournament."

photo credit: Riot Games