DRIVE: The Reginald Story
Andy "Reginald" Dinh doesn't shy away from a fight. He burst onto the pro scene with an explosive Pentakill in 2011 (one of the first ever in pro play), and he's charged forward ever since.
Reginald's bold and sometimes confrontational personality was key to TSM's meteoric rise, both on and off the Rift, in the early League of Legends pro scene. It didn't matter which champion this mid laner played as -- whether he was throwing barrels, bombs, or poison, Reginald found a way to get into his enemy's face and force them to fight him. And his teammates always followed.
That last bit is especially important: Reginald has been a leader from the very beginning. After founding Team SoloMid in 2011 as a small squad of friends and hand-picked recruits, Reginald worked tirelessly to grow it into the massive pillar of North American esports that it is today. Now, you can hear the enthusiastic chants of "TSM TSM TSM!" at pretty much every major esports event on the continent.
That tremendous achievement didn't come easy. Reginald was a pioneer in player-run esports organizations and had to fight for every piece of it, especially when others doubted him. Along the way, he had to make a lot of tough calls, such as replacing Chaox, or stepping down from mid lane to bring in Bjergsen. But, he never avoided his responsibilities. Like everything else, he attacked team management issues head on, often bearing the full weight of community backlash so that his players would be shielded from it.
Growing into a leader that his players believe in is one of the most important things that Reginald has accomplished. Clutch Gragas ults are great and all, but bringing people together and helping them succeed as a group will ultimately be Reginald's legacy. And it didn't come easy -- Reginald had to learn a lot along the way. His early mistakes caused plenty of controversy, as TSM's livestreams and videos gave fans unprecedented insight into the team's inner workings.
The most infamous event was probably when Reginald got into a verbal fight with Dyrus during a livestream in 2013. The community was quick to condemn Reginald's actions and Reginald, in turn, was quick to explain his frustrations, apologize for his mistakes, and promise to improve himself.
And he did.
Since then, Reginald's matured, tamed his temper, and become more professional in his response to stressful situations. Nowadays, everyone inside TSM -- from retirees like TheOddOne to recent transfers like Doublelift -- can't stop talking about how great Reginald has treated them and how much effort he's put into looking out for their futures. Heck, the star of that controversial video from 2013, Dyrus, has been Reginald's biggest defender in the public arena, consistently praising him for how much he's grown and how well he treats his players.
It's an incredibly difficult process to transition from player to team manager or coach. Very few pros have done it successfully. Yet Reginald has done both, and done them so well that he's earned the highest mark of success for a leader: the respect and loyalty of his peers.
Part of that is in no doubt due to Reginald's special knack for making the right roster changes at the right times. Dyrus, Bjergsen, WildTurtle, Xpecial, Lustboy, Doublelift, and Yellowstar are just some of his top acquisitions over the past few years. And when Reginald decides it's time to replace a player, he's made those calls with the same level of confidence and candor as everything else he does.
Reginald has rightfully earned a lot of trust from fans over the years because of his brilliant roster moves. But that trust is now being tested as TSM is struggling following a big roster shakeup from their 2015 offseason. This new TSM roster -- one packed to the prim with talent -- might be the first ever to miss out on the NA LCS Finals.
But Reginald's overcome obstacles before. He built a massive esports empire in the heart of Los Angeles with some of the highest profile players and sponsors in the industry. He earned every championship, fan, and loyal pro that he's got.
2016 may test Reginald with new challenges, but he's never backed down before. He's ready to fight for TSM. Now and always.
ulting in that poster.