-v1ctor

I'm aware that this isn't a huge surprise, but I felt strongly about writing something up and not finalizing s1mple's era on Liquid with a tweet—or worse, nothing at all.Despite the difficulties that Sasha may have brought in-game, he still made history with Liquid alongside 4 other players and our coaches. We are the first North American lineup ever to reach a Major Final, and it was in no small part due to him. And for that, I will be forever grateful. It is an achievement that nobody can take away from us, and those responsible for it deserve to be properly thanked by the organization, and especially by me.In order to show him our respect and to thank him for everything he has helped us achieve, I don't have to sit here and act like he was the perfect teammate. He knows that he still has some ways to go in that regard, and now Na`Vi and s1mple must travel that road together. I really believe that somewhere down that road, s1mple can become one of the best players to play this game. His aim is already up there, but anyone with a deep understanding of the game knows that aim alone will not allow you conquer the world. It's hard to judge from the outside how much value one is contributing to their team in terms of strategy, chemistry, and shot calling, but they are crucial to the success of every team.Despite what you may have heard about Sasha, I've gotten to know him outside of the game and he is one of the sweetest human beings I've met. He cares a lot about others, and he's the kind of guy that brings home presents for the entire fam for no reason, like an AK-toting Ukranian Santa Claus. Even though he has his faults—as we all do—he has always admitted his mistakes when he has had time to think about it.s1mple and I had many conversations especially when we initially brought him on board, but it wasn't until the bootcamp before Cologne that I really felt we got to know each other on a deeper level. We went through some internal issues in our preparation for the Major, and we had to spend time with each other speaking in an open manner about everything. Sasha made significant progress that he carried into the Major, where he was, for the most part, better as a teammate than ever before leading up until the final. In the end, I feel we are losing not just a star player but also a friend. He has grown as a person throughout the year and that makes me very hopeful for his future with Na`ViMuch has been said about the relationship between Liquid and s1mple, and of course that relationship was under stress at times. Many difficult conversations have been had over the past seven months, and it was no easy road. However, I am more than willing to admit that we owe him (and our other players and coaches) for all the beautiful memories, and we are sad to see him go.I will miss you and wish you all the best you amazing troll,