WHILE THERE are those who frown upon esports' status as a legitimate sport, one should never underestimate the grind that's needed to perform at the highest level.
In fact, during an interview with Spin.ph, Barangay Ginebra guard-forward Jared Dillinger didn't mince his words regarding the amount of stress he endured when grinding his way in Ginebra's esports team.
"It was so stressful like supporting the team is fun, but when I actually have to play, it was so stressful. It wasn’t fun because I wanted to make sure that I won’t make the team (Ginebra) lose and I know I’m a rookie compared to these guys, so I want to take things seriously, I’m not just here to have fun, I want to win," reflected Dillinger.
"Way more (stressful) than the PBA," he emphasized during the PBA Esports Bakbakan finals.
His statement debunks the myth that esports is basically just gaming, in fact he did reveal that grinding his way in Ginebra's esports team felt like learning a new sport or hobby.

A rookie all over again
"I’m trying my best to get into it, but it’s like someone playing basketball with me if they just first started and they want to be as good as me but obviously I’m so much better so it’s like the same situation, like I’m a rookie all over again," explained the Ginebra guard-forward.
And while traditional sports may carry loads of physical exertion compared to esports, Dillinger realized that there are a lot of similarities between the two of them.
"From my understanding, esports athletes and sports athletes like myself, have a lot of the same mentality that goes into it," started Dillinger.
"Obviously as a sports athlete, you’re training your body, but in esports, you’re training your mind, you still have to work as a team, you still have a common goal, philosophy, strategy, that you have to utilize within your members, just like in sports."
"The competition, the nature of that is very similar, and that’s what I find fascinating and interesting. It feels like I’m in sports again, but not using my mind, I can use my mind, use my hands, and it really is the same," said the PBA veteran.
And upon digging deep into the scene, Dillinger realized that there is still a lot for him to learn.
"In terms of learning, like learning the vet(eran) moves, of what dos and don’ts and how to be a little bit better than your competitor. I still got a long way to go when it comes to that," opined Dillinger.

Dillinger is an avid gamer
Besides talking about his experience in esports, Dillinger did reveal his gaming background.
Based on his list of games, it can be hinted that Dillinger has grown fond of real time strategy (RTS) games.
“I’m an OG. I’ve been playing games since I was a teenager. When I say OG, I’m like World of WarCraft, Command and Conquer, Age of Empires, StarCraft, way back then," said the 9-time PBA champ.
As he went back to his childhood, Dillinger explained his decision to venture into basketball.
"So obviously I had a pick between gaming and sports as I was getting older. Obviously back then in my day, you couldn’t be a professional video gamer, so I obviously focused on sports."
But things are different now as Dillinger is approaching the tailend of his professional career, hence his venture into gaming.
"Now that I’m getting near the end of my sports career, I’m slowly getting back into gaming and it’s really hard, the talent, the competition, it’s like next level."
Then when talking about his gaming roots, he likewise revealed his inspiration in the scene, the Twitch streamer renowned for his so-called "Violence, speed, and momentum."
"I do like DrDisrespect a lot...He is so freaking cool to me, he is my idol," said Dillinger.
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