Of all the teams competing in the 2021 League of Legends Championship Series Lock In, 100 Thieves' new roster has been one of the strongest out of the gate throught the first three days of competition. 100 Thieves signed four of the five starting players from the 2020 Golden Guardians lineup to rebuild entirely around star top laner Kim "Ssumday" Chan-ho.

Through three games in the Lock In, 100 Thieves is 2-1 with two convincing wins against TSM and Team Liquid alongside a narrow loss to Counter Logic Gaming. The most recent game was the win against TL, and after the game, 100 Thieves mid laner Tanner "Damonte" Damonte joined Riot Games' James "Dash" Patterson for a post-game interview on the LCS broadcast. 

At the end of the interview, Dash asked Damonte if he, as someone who now has a few years of LCS experience under his belt, had any advice or insights to pass onto any rookies making their LCS debut in 2021. Damonte laughed before saying: "For all the new rookies: Definitely lay off of the cringe, cocky comments. It's pretty weird if you come into the LCS not proven at all and ****-talk everyone...probably prove yourself before saying stuff like that."

Damonte was quite humble when debuting in the LCS in 2017, and that contrasts with many a debut by players in the 2021 LCS Lock In.  In an interview with Inven Global, Fudge explained his methodology behind trash-talking every other LCS player despite not having a single game under his belt when making said statements.

"I sort of intentionally set expectations highly for myself by s**t-talking every other player in LCS," Fudge said, pausing to stifle laughter. "I  knew it would force me to play better, and if I didn't, I would get flamed and want to play better." 

It is unknown whether Damonte's comment was directed at Fudge, but the attitude from the new, young upstarts of LCS like Fudge and the outspokenness of established talents like Damonte could be the spark that ignites a prosperous new saga in LCS history. 

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