Core memory 1: Shanghai Dragons 1-42

The record for most losses in a professional sports competition belongs to the Shanghai Dragons. Failure is a certainty, but it should be expected that one picks themselves up. Across 40 matches, they failed to get a single win, surpassing the previous record held by the Philadelphia 76ers who had went 28 consecutive games beaten. It was an utter embarrassment, and has been made famous across multiple documented videos.

The team was frankly not good enough, there was individual talent, especially with new acquisitions mid-season. But as a team sport, communication is vital to win in a 6 vs 6 match. There was insufficient planning to integrate the team together, as well as the organization as a whole. The season was brought to a close and there was much to work on.

That is exactly what happened during the off-season. Most of the original team was dispatched. In their spot, they signed up the core of Kongdoo Panthera, a team which finished 2nd in the Korean league, deciding to get a team that already had pre-existing bonds rather than gathering players from different regions and trying to bring them together like before. They lost the first 2 games, but were facing the Boston Uprising for their 43rd match, who were on a poor run of form and facing external problems concerning its organization.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx3ZKGGzWko

And then it happened

Everyone in the stands and the other thousands of people watching on twitch had just witnessed history being made. The question of whether they had the capabilities came to rest. It was long overdue but worth all the wait and pain. For all the struggles they went through, this was a breath of fresh air for everyone.

Fast forward, they would continue to win more matches and ultimately win the overall league by the third season. the perfect story for a last to first challenge

I only found out about their title years after they won it. Overwatch and Blizzard slowly became more stale, while I continued to grow out of it. Hearing them doing so well was a pleasant reminder that things can change, if you are willing to work hard for it.

there are many more countless memories from watching this series - Dinoflask videos of Jack Kaplan, the countless banter and clutch plays, but Shanghai Dragons being able to say they didn't go 0-43 has to be the top