Can a singular athlete define an entire sport?

When I posed this question to the Daily Trojan’s Sports section editors, plenty of names were thrown out. Michael Phelps, Simone Biles, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and Babe Ruth, among others, were thrown under my microscope, waiting to be deemed the GOAT of their respective sports by yours truly — someone who, famously, does not watch traditional sports.

I understand it may be laughable to read sports commentary from someone who couldn’t care less about globally viewed events like the FIFA World Cup or the World Series. I’ve previously taken a passive interest in sports like swimming and tennis, but only because of my personal participation in each of them. I suppose it tracks, then, that my current obsession lies in “League of Legends” esports.

Yes, you’re assuming correctly: This is a T1 Faker glaze article — a type of article which has actually never been written before, ever.

Despite the lack of originality in my writing about Faker, I fear it would be a disservice to my love of LoL esports not to write about him after T1’s performance in Worlds in October and November — especially given their three-peat victory. The monstrously skilled team dominated the 2025 tournament, leaving any other potential world title contenders clawing at T1’s coattails while licking their own wounds.

For those who don’t know Faker or his significance in esports as a whole, let me give you a quick lesson on Lee Sang-hyeok. In total, there have been 15 LoL Worlds since the game developed a professional league. Of those 15, Faker has competed in 10 and won six — a 60% World Championship win rate.

Not only has Faker won a majority of the Worlds tournaments he’s competed in, he’s also done so with numerous different teammates cycling in and out of T1’s roster. This legendary midlaner has never just relied on T1 signing the best-of-the-best; the team shapes its playstyle around him.

As a testament to his cultural impact, Faker was exempted from mandatory service in the South Korean military for his team’s win over China in the 2023 Asian Games, alongside Zeus, Kanavi, Ruler, Chovy and Keria — all LoL esports legends in their own right. Not even the global boy-group sensation BTS was granted military exemption.

LoL esports is an incredibly nascent phenomenon, having only been a professional league since 2011; the sport hasn’t had enough time to develop its own Phelps or Biles. Because of this, it’s often argued that Faker is only the GOAT of this early generation of LoL esports pros, with more surely to enter the fray in the coming years.

But Faker’s rise has garnered criticism that his talent is a result of luck, having gotten into a young sport at the “right time” and displaying dominance because the scene was so new. My rebuttal: His skill is truly once-in-a-generation. As my friend likes to say, Faker’s objective superiority in the professional scene is as if Magnus Carlsen had entered the competitive chess scene within a few years of chess’ invention.

With Faker having signed a contract to stay with T1 until 2029, he’s not leaving the LoL pro scene anytime soon, and I’m sure Riot Games sees this as both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, they’ll keep their most popular, relevant cash cow in the game for a few more years. On the other hand, once he leaves, they’ll likely never replicate the magic of Faker’s fame.

Faker — and by extension, T1 — singlehandedly drive a massive chunk of LoL esports viewership. If T1 is playing, bank on the viewership being higher than in matches in which they aren’t. And it’s deserved: T1 always serves exciting, spitfire gameplay, win or lose.

I don’t have much to add to the Faker conversation aside from education of non-LoL fans; Honestly, no one can drive the narrative now but Faker himself. All I can say is, if you aren’t familiar with the legend of Faker, tune into the next professional match he plays in — you would be watching history unfold.

Aubrie Cole is a senior writing about video games in her column, “Downloadable Content,” which runs every other Friday. She is also the managing editor at the Daily Trojan.