IN THE VERY FIRST iteration of PBA Esports' draft, it was the MLBB sensation Setsuna "Akosi Dogie" Ignacio who was selected 1st overall by Barangay Ginebra San Miguel.
Looking back at how his career panned out, it can be argued that he is living the dream; From a man who took a huge risk by sacrificing a wealthy career in Belgium, to becoming one of the pioneers in the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang scene, to building his own esports team...
And now here he is, drafted by one of the most historical clubs in Philippine sports, something that brought a lot of emotions to the renowned MLBB content creator.
"First pick, syempre first season, champion agad! Hindi ko bibiguin ang Ginebra, men nakita ko lang si Christian, being part na Ginebra na ako, super fan talaga ako ng Ginebra. Thankful talaga ako na kinuha ako ng Ginebra. Ibang klase...naluluha ako kase super fan ako ng Ginebra," he reflected.
But none of this would've been possible had the Gin Kings opted to go for another route. As to why they decided to select Dogie over other influencers and former pro players like Renz "Pein" Reyes and Mico "Coco" Sampang, here's what PBA Finals MVP Christian Standhardinger had to say.
The strategy behind Dogie's selection
"So obviously we got lucky with the raffle, so we got the first pick, first round, and we got the best player that we could get," opined Standhardinger to Spin.ph "We got the best player overall in my opinion, Akosi Dogie, and now we let him decide who we draft next."
"That's our strategy basically, so he's gonna build a team around and where ever he leads us, that's what we follow and if we don't make it, we can blame him (laughs)...Because if we make it, it's all the good stuff, that's all him right there, so that was our strategy."
In fact this was something that C-Stan wanted to emphasize. Akosi Dogie's knowledge with the MLBB scene could be a major asset for the Gin Kings.
Historically, Dogie has been renowned for scouting talent as seen with how he forged Aether Main back in Season 1 and how he discovered Nexplay's original big three featuring Tristan "Yawi" Cabrera, John Paul "H2wo" Salonga, and Renejay "RENEJAY" Barcarse.
With such a reputation, Ginebra seized the opportunity to gain his insights.
"We should not go here as a basketball player trying to figure out who is the best. We get the best in the business over here, we let him decide on what to do and so far we're very happy with our decision."
Will C-Stan play in PBA Esports Bakbakan?
Now that Dogie is with his favorite club, joining Standhardinger, will this mean that fans will witness these two forming a dynamic duo?
For Standhardinger, he wanted to secure more championships not only inside the court, but also in the digital realm.
"I was thinking about it a lot and you know after winning the championship against Bay Area Dragons at the Conference, got lucky, and I'm happy and appreciative of getting the Finals MVP."
"Now I want an esports trophy next and I will play and I will practice, until I'm ready," he reflected.
And to add fuel to the fire, Converge FiberXers' Bradwyn Guinto would ridicule the Ginebra big man for his poor play.
"Bradwyn, I always ask him to play me and he always rejects me because I'm not good enough, but I will use that as fuel and motivation to try and learn and beat him in his own game."
Given C-Stan's statement, it seems the influencers aren't the only ones with heated exchanges as seen during their post-selection interviews. The rivalry between Bradwyn and C-Stan may also happen in the Land of Dawn or in any fictional video game universe.
But if he wants to exact his revenge on Bradwyn, Standhardinger should learn to overcome his deficiencies with his hero pool.
"I don't think I can say (referring to his signature picks) because so far, I can only play two heroes (laughs). If I tell you now, they will block it and I don't know what to do anymore."
"They already told me that I have to learn fourfighters to be competitive, so I have to learn three more heroes and I hope I'll be able to do that."
And when it came to his role in the game, the power forward/center revealed that he'll be banging his rivals, similar to how he plays in the PBA.
"But I will be the fighter role, I need the combination of endurance but also I need to attack a little bit."
"I would love to play tank, but obviously it's a very important position so I let the professional do that. I'm the supportive fighter and I hope I can make a difference."
C-Stan with Aldous, Chou, or perhaps Thamuz? Let's wait and see.
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