The qualification of Team BDS at the League of Legends World Championship started with tempered results. Facing Golden Guardians, they managed to awe the audience with a surprise pick of Garen, courtesy of their top laner Adam “Adam” Maanane. Although the roar from LoL Park echoed his audacity, there were more nuances to the team's journey.

In a post-match chat, Adam delved into his journey from 2021 to 2023, his unique champion picks, and his growth from Fnatic to Team BDS. He also compared EU top laners with their Asian peers, giving insights into their distinct playstyles and shared his optimism for EU's performance in the current championship.

Discuss a bit your perspective of this point in your career. You qualified for Worlds 2021, did not have the strongest performance through 2022, but came back and had a strong 2023. Talk to me about 2022 in retrospect, and about getting back to this point.

 

What do you think are the biggest points of growth you’ve had as a player? How do you compare 2021 and 2022 Adam to who you are as a player now?

 

I would say I'm a better teammate overall. I expect a lot from my teammates, and naturally, they expect a lot from me in return. During the season, I consistently strive to be the best player, to ensure practice is effective, and to be someone my teammates can count on. This is how they allow me to pick Garen in draft. Because they need to trust me. And before that trust is established, I have to prove I'm a good player. 

 

In my time with Fnatic, my individual performance was decent, and we qualified for Worlds, but now I'm now a way better player and person, gaining much maturity. This is perhaps my most significant growth.

 

 

Dive a bit more into that — how are you a better player and person?

 

This is a challenging question.` As a player, I believe my laning phase and map knowledge have greatly improved since 2021. However, as a person, I felt like I was a bit of a passenger when I was with Fnatic. I felt overshadowed by the big names and was hesitant to voice my opinions. Now, without those big names, I can talk and say what I have in mind, which I couldn't really say I feel like in Fnatic. And by showing genuine care and passion for what I do, it fosters trust and camaraderie among teammates.

 

Obviously the strongest point of your year was looking into the spring, where you made it to the final, and didn’t have as good of a summer. What do you think were the biggest things you’ve worked on since then coming into Worlds?

 

A key focus for us has been the macro game. We're all strong in our lanes, and Sheo is a good jungler who effectively plays around our strengths. Our roster is complementary; we're all aligned, which is a huge buff. Not all the teams are consistently on the same page, but we are. It's like we're five players with one mind. 

You mentioned on the broadcast about opting for unconventional picks like Garen. You said it requires trust from your teammates. When you approach the coaching staff or teammates about wanting to play such unique champions, is there any resistance? How does that process unfold?

 

There's not pushback. I believe in every team there's at least one player open to weird champions. For me, I've explored multiple unique picks, and they've worked out, even on stage. The challenge for many players is transitioning from trying in practice to applying in competitive games. Most prefer comfort picks. But I'm willing to take that risk. If my teammates trust me, I ensure their faith is in good hands.

 

Can you explain the primary reason behind your unconventional choices? Is it genuinely because you believe they're underutilized picks, or is it more for the surprise element? 

 

There are many factors, but primarily, I genuinely enjoy playing these champions. Having fun with a particular champ boosts my confidence since I feel intimately familiar with their capabilities. Also, I wouldn't pick a champion I believed was weak. Additionally, the surprise element plays a role; opponents aren't accustomed to playing against these unique champions, which can alter the gameplay and create a mental advantage.

 

 

You mentioned on the broadcast that you're looking forward to facing TheShy. But regarding other top laners, who do you think is the most intimidating right now? Who do you consider the best? 

 

Probably Bin. I believe he might have the best laning phase, being the one who can be the most aggressive and capable of punishing my mistakes in lane. However, still my ego tells me I'm better than him [chuckles], so until I face him, I won't truly know.

 

When you look at the best Eastern top laners, what are the major differences compared with EU top laners?

 

Overall, I wouldn't say there are a lot of differences between the best EU tops and the best Asian tops. I don't think skill-wise there's that big of a difference. In the EU meta, you might not showcase as many skills because the game plays out differently. Asian games tend to hinge more on outplays, while in EU, games are more stable and slower. However, skill-wise, I believe they're pretty similar. Asian teams, though, have the advantage of practicing against stronger teams consistently, keeping their level high and improving on mistakes. In the EU, mistakes aren't punished as severely, so it's more challenging to identify and rectify them. Events like MSI and Worlds are the best opportunities for EU teams to learn from the top teams.

 

What is your perspective on the tournament in general. How do you feel about Europe’s chances in general, looking at G2, Fnatic, and MAD. Do you think they can cause some damage to the expected elite teams?

 

I'd probably say G2 can cause some damage. Maybe not against the seed one teams, but against the lower seeds, like two, three, and four, given each region has, I think, four teams. I could also say Fnatic — causing a bit less damage. However, I don't really see MAD making much damage. G2 are likely the ones to make some noise, and Fnatic and us, BDS, might pull off a surprise or two, with a bit of luck. 

 

This interview was condensed and edited for length and clarity.