​Whisper the name Faker to any fan of esports, and they’ll know immediately who you’re talking about.He’s the face of esports and the embodiment of the potential of an industry that can scale so much further.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBut how did this relatively unassuming League of Legends player from Korea gain the gravitas needed to join the likes of other star athletes in other spaces? Esports Foundation CEO Ralf Reichert has a theory.“He still feels close to the people who follow him. That is partly the nature of a digital-first sport: fans do not only watch their heroes from a distance. They can play the same game, compete on the same maps, and experience the same moments themselves,” Reichert said. “Faker represents the highest possible level of that shared experience. Fans admire him, but they also understand the world he comes from. That combination of greatness and closeness is incredibly powerful.”Faker, who joined chess legend Magnus Carlsen and star footballer Cristiano Ronaldo as an Esports Foundation’s Ambassador, is a living legend in the world of esports. It’s just another accolade to a career filled with them.So, how did Faker go from a 16-year-old League of Legends phenomenon to a global icon that can stand alongside the likes of Ronaldo and other star traditional athletes?AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThat’s where we explore and it starts in Seoul.Before he became known to the world as Faker, he was merely Lee Sang-hyeok, born on May 7, 1996, in Gangseo District of Seoul, South Korea. He enjoyed games, particularly Warcraft III, before discovering the game that would change his life in December 2011 when League of Legends launched its servers in Korea.He attended Mapo High School in Seoul, along with future rival Kim “Deft” Hyuk-kyu. Faker didn’t graduate from Mapo High School, but he still joked during the two’s meeting at the 2022 World Championship that his goal was to become the “most popular person from the Mapo area.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe reason why he didn’t graduate? He signed with SK Telecom T1 at 16 years old to join its second League of Legends team, opting to become a professional player.Much of Faker’s life from age 16 onward was dominated by League of Legends and professional play, so bits and pieces of his human side come out at various times.Whether it’s admitting to listening to Taylor Swift in the Players Tribune, displaying an interest in health management and sciences, and enjoying other board and digital games, Faker attempts to excel in other areas of his life.“He’s pretty good at swimming and chess,” former teammate Lee “Gumayusi” Min-hyeong said.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementFor now, Faker is focused on being a professional at the highest level and trying to win more tournaments around the world.“I am not really thinking about my life after my career at the moment,” he said.When cameras focus on Faker before