On June 16, T1 officially announced that marksman Park “Teddy” Jin-seong has agreed to extend his contract with the team for a new deal lasting until the end of 2022.
This contract makes Teddy the second name after Faker to hold a long-term contract with T1, lasting for 3 years. This move is not unexpected for fans, as T1 has openly expressed its intention to continue developing the team with Faker and Teddy as the two key pillars.
Notably, according to research from the gaming community, Teddy had extended his contract with T1 about a week ago, but the team had to wait until just before the start of the 2020 Summer LCK to officially announce it.
The moment Teddy agreed to sign the new contract with T1 was right after the summer transfer market had closed. Typically, very few players choose to negotiate contracts when the transfer window is not open. This is because when they do not receive offers from other teams, it is challenging to set favorable terms in the contract with the current team.
However, Teddy seems to be unconcerned about this issue. He signed a long-term contract with T1 without a second thought about offers from other regions, even though offers from China would surely be much more enticing.
The reason Teddy appears so decisive in committing his future to T1 is partly due to the team’s reputation and development foundation. Joining SKT in 2019, Teddy quickly rose to become a top star in the LCK, as well as one of the two irreplaceable pillars of the LCK champion.
But the most important reason is Faker. Teddy is affectionately nicknamed “Secretary Park” by T1 fans, to pair with “Chairman Lee”—that is, Faker. This nickname stems from Teddy’s fervent admiration for his senior.
It is known that when SKT approached Teddy to recruit him from Jin Air Green Wings, he immediately agreed, as the condition SKT offered was very simple: He would get to play alongside Faker. With Faker committing to T1 until 2023, it means that if Teddy agrees to stay with T1, “Secretary Park” will have the chance to stand side by side with “Chairman Lee” for a long time. It’s not hard for Teddy to make the decision to extend his contract and set new goals in the T1 jersey alongside his teammate, senior, and also his number one idol.