After the KesPa Cup ended, the major events for the LCK region this year came to a halt. During this break without matches, HLE's presence was very strong, even surpassing T1, because the starting five, coach, and team captain have been frequently interviewed recently. A recent statement by Little Lu Bu sparked quite a controversy. In the interview, the media asked the player: When did you start feeling troubled about the transfer?

Little Lu Bu immediately responded: There was no exact moment, just occasional feelings of dislike towards T1, similar to an office worker thinking about quitting. He had such thoughts but never made a definite decision. Then the media asked: What was the reason you chose HLE? The player said: I wanted to join a team that could compete for the championship, but since GEN and Ruler’s contracts were not yet expired, during negotiations with HLE, I felt kindness and respect, so it was the best choice.

In just two short sentences, the player conveyed a lot of information: he disliked T1 and wanted to go to GEN, but since that wasn’t possible, he joined HLE. What he likely wanted to express was that after staying at T1 for so long, he grew somewhat tired of the atmosphere and environment there. However, this statement offended T1 fans directly. Also, wanting to go to GEN first after leaving made HLE fans a bit speechless. In one sentence, he indirectly upset fans of three teams.

After the interview video was released, fans of T1, HLE, and GEN all criticized Little Lu Bu for speaking without thinking. His reputation has indeed dropped significantly compared to the transfer period. Recently, he has given quite a few interviews, and as the saying goes, "talk too much, mistakes will happen." Besides Little Lu Bu, the HLE team captain also revealed in a recent interview the real reason behind Viper’s departure.

HLE’s team captain disclosed: Viper, regarded as an “inheritance” star player of HLE, had his contract expire, and the team immediately negotiated a renewal. However, Viper was eager for a new environment and challenges. In the end, management decided to respect the player’s wishes, so the renewal was unsuccessful. As soon as Viper left, Little Lu Bu was released, and HLE immediately contacted him. Both sides had a pleasant discussion and signed swiftly.

In other words, HLE actually offered Viper top-tier treatment within the team, but he simply didn’t want to stay. Therefore, the online rumors that Viper never competed with Little Lu Bu are untrue. Additionally, the HLE captain revealed that during the transfer period, the team once considered bringing in a domestic LPL top laner, Bin from BLG, but ultimately gave up due to concerns about language barriers.

The HLE captain is quite open-minded about signing players. He believes that as long as it can improve the team’s strength, they can consider foreign players for both players and head coaches, as HLE has no nationality restrictions. The timing of considering Bin was probably during last winter’s transfer window, before Zeus left. At that time, HLE indeed lacked a top-level top laner. Although Bin didn’t win the championship, he was the runner-up last year.

If Bin had really been recruited last year, he would have been the first Chinese import in LCK, instantly raising the team’s prestige. However, HLE only had the idea and never reached the stage of contact. Probably after this year’s World Championship, HLE’s management is relieved they didn’t sign Bin, or else HLE might have made it to the top 16. Joking aside, getting recognition from a top LCK team’s management shows Bin’s outstanding performance last year.

Conclusion:

Little Lu Bu’s words were somewhat ill-timed. T1 just won the KesPa Cup championship, and Peyz earned the FMVP in their matchup. In T1 fans’ eyes, Peyz is currently more suitable for T1 than Little Lu Bu. So it’s no surprise he got criticized for saying he hates T1 now. However, he was often criticized even while playing for T1, so he’s probably used to it by now.

So, what do you think about Bin’s performance last year?

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