In recent years, Knight has been regarded as one of the top mid-laners in the LPL. With outstanding performances in the LPL and a habit of using his left hand for the mouse, Knight has earned the nickname “Golden Left Hand” among fans. According to reports from Blix, this player is currently the highest-paid player in the LPL, with an annual salary of up to 45 million CNY (approximately 150 billion VND).
However, Knight has been shunned by fans of many teams. Reports indicate that fans of Bilibili Gaming (BLG), EDward Gaming (EDG), and Top Esports (TES) do not want this player to join their favorite teams. Thus, when news broke that the “Golden Left Hand” might transfer to BLG, fans of that team were left speechless.
The first reason Knight does not receive affection from many fans is his history of “choking” at the World Championships. At the 2022 World Championship, Knight and TES were eliminated by GAM Esports from VCS during the Group Stage. By the 2023 World Championship, he faced a complete failure against T1 while playing for JDG. Clearly, as the highest-paid player in the LPL, fans expect better results from him.
Furthermore, Knight had previously created a very negative image in the eyes of fans after a love drama involving two girlfriends (one ex and one current) in 2022. At that time, he was accused by his girlfriend of “playing both sides” and deliberately sharing a couple’s story. He was even found to have pressured his ex-girlfriend to terminate a pregnancy to avoid complications.
The climax of this story was when Knight was discovered to have spoken ill of Tian (who was still his teammate at TES at the time) on multiple occasions. This incident shattered the image of Knight as an innocent, pure player solely focused on “trying hard” in League of Legends and dedicating his love to the game. As a result, Knight has been shunned by fans of many teams who do not want him to join their beloved roster.
Perhaps the only way for Knight to appease fans is to perform exceptionally well in the upcoming season. Whether Knight chooses to stay with JDG or join BLG, he will need to secure a title. If he fails to achieve this, Knight will certainly face immense pressure from the public.