NEW YORK — “If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere,” is the famous tagline for New York City, which has been the site of countless memorable moments in sports and esports. On Saturday, Vietnamese League of Legends team GAM Esports had their New York moment.
“G-A-M! G-A-M!” the crowd at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden shouted at the top of their lungs. The entire GAM Esports staff and players walked toward the front of the stage to bow and show their appreciation for the crowd’s support after their final game at the League of Legends World Championship.
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Shortly after, GAM Esports captain Đỗ “Levi” Duy Khánh was brought to the center of the stage alongside interviewer Eefje “Sjokz” Depoortere. Before she spoke to him, thousands of fans were standing and cheering for an admirable performance from the veteran jungler.
“LE-VI! LE-VI! LE-VI! LE-VI!” the crowd chanted in unison as Levi bowed one more time before Sjokz asked him a simple question: “How does it feel?”
He pauses for a short moment before uttering nine words that felt like a speech.
“I feel so grateful, thank you guys so much!” Levi answered in English.
For Levi, that one moment was filled with indescribable feelings that he and GAM had been waiting to experience after nearly three years away from the international stage due to COVID, travel restrictions and other international commitments.
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Although GAM Esports’ Worlds 2022 run ended just a few hours after that moment, even reaching the international stage was a major accomplishment and momentous high for Levi.
“I feel like the moment I walked onto the stage, all of the past memories came flooding back,” Levi said. “It’s been such a long time since we got a chance to play on such a big stage with such a huge crowd. After so many years, it made that wait worth it.”
From 2020 to 2021 the Vietnam region was left out of international play due to the COVID pandemic and highly restrictive travel barriers for Vietnamese teams. Both 2020 and 2021 Worlds were tournaments that Levi and GAM Esports likely would have qualified for. This spring, the team won the VCS, but the Vietnamese champions were committed to going to the SEA Games, so GAM missed out on the Mid-Season Invitational. The only thing the team could do was move forward.
“Every time that we missed the chance to play on the international stage, we were very disappointed and sad,” Levi said. “But we had to move on and just being here at this tournament was a big milestone for us.”
Photo credit: Riot Games
Call me Captain Levi
Since his emergence as a superstar jungler in 2017, Levi has become one of the most recognizable faces for the Vietnamese region. However, it took some time for him to fully accept his role as a leader.
Following the 2017 season, Levi left Vietnam to play abroad in North America and eventually in China for nearly a year and a half.
“That period I played abroad was not particularly successful,” Levi said. “I think the reason I moved back to Vietnam was to regain that confidence and play at that peak level I had in 2017.”
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It was a tough adjustment for Levi being on teams away from his home in Vietnam. From cultural and lifestyle changes to learning an entire language, the balance between adapting and staying at the top level of play was something that was difficult for Levi to handle.
“I have always had really huge confidence in my own skill and my mechanics, but truthfully, it took some time for it to come back after my time in North America and China,” Levi said.
Levi admitted it took some time for him to get back to his top level of confidence, but highlighted a strong support staff at GAM that helped him enter a new level of play. Now he feels confident and proud to call himself captain.
Photo credit: Riot Games
“I came back to GAM so I could finally embrace my role as the captain of a team that makes me feel my best,” Levi said. “It was hard to find that again, but all the staff at GAM helped me adapt into this role. It’s a pleasure of mine to now call myself Captain Levi.”
GAM Esports’ Worlds run has officially come to an end, and Levi had one final statement to describe what being on GAM meant to him.
“GAM just feels like home for me,” Levi said. “There is this warm feeling I have in my heart being in this environment. Even when we are losing, I can only smile because I just feel at home. I love being here.”
For now, Levi will fly back home to Vietnam, where he will look to lead GAM Esports back to the international stage in 2023.
Lead photo credit: Riot Games
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