One of the youngest rookies in the
2024 LoL EMEA Championship (LEC),
Adam "Jackies" Jeřábek will soon be making his
entry on the biggest stage that Europe has to offer.
Joining force with
GIANTX, the
19-year-old Czech mid laner is now entering a whole new setting with large expectations both from fans and his own teammates. Confident but composed, Jackies sat down with Armand to answer a few questions about his new adventure in the LEC.
Jackies (middle), posing with his teammates.
| After about a month of practice and being one week away from competitions, how are you handling the expectations put on your shoulders? Do you feel stressed? Excited?
Jackies: “Personally I don't really feel stressed; I usually don't feel stressed in situations like this, but I'm for sure excited.”
“I think [our] scrims, at least for me, are going very well. In general, our team has been doing great, I'm improving fast, and I'm already ready for the first week.”
| A lot of rookies that enter the LEC are often all about mechanics and individual skills while often lacking things like communication skills or macro understanding. What is the thing you need to work on the most?
Jackies: “Right now I'm mostly working on my macro. I think my mechanics are on a very good level, and I think my communication is also pretty good.”
“The main thing is that I'm trying to keep up basically; usually asking a lot of questions, mostly to Odoamne since I'm a side-laner.”
| Is Odoamne the captain of the team in your eyes?
Jackies: “He is kind of the captain of the team [in-game], but at the same time, it's Hidon our head coach, right? I would say that he's our main captain and mentor.”
| Are we going to see Yone or Sylas?
Jackies: “[Laughs] I mean, Yone or Sylas, if I see an angle I'm picking them instantly. I've seen a lot of Olaf mid as well, but I'm not sure about that one. We'll see...”
| Do you think that they are viable in the 14.1 meta?
Jackies: “I think that in the right setting they can be really good picks.”
| You joined your first team in 2020. Four years later, you are in the LEC. Are you winning Worlds in 2028? What are your ambitions?
Jackies: “[Laughs] For 2028? I hope I'm winning Worlds in 2026.”
Jackies: “Jokes aside, I have to take it a step at a time. I already made a big skip [in my career]: I got knocked-out in Play-Ins in the EMEA Masters, and now I'm here. My first step will probably be to make it to the season finals. I'm not gonna overreach my goals for now. Winning Worlds will be for my later years.”
| What are you hoping to achieve in the Winter Split?
Jackies: “Personally I don't know. I have no idea what to expect and where we'll finish the split. I know my teammates and coaching staff have high expectations and I think they are all decent players who have what it takes to make it to the international stage but, for me, I just want not to disappoint them. I know they have high goals and I want to keep up with them.”
GX Jackies, confident, but collected.
| Recently, you mentioned looking forward to facing Humanoid, Caps, and Larssen. You then mentioned that other mid laners did not seem as good as those three. Where do you rank yourself currently?
Jackies: “Right now it's hard to rank myself since official matches are what matter, right? I cannot rate myself yet but, if I took scrims into account, I think I would be in the middle of the pack maybe? Of course, I'll still have to prove myself in LEC matches, because those are the real deal.”
| This week, you are playing against Vitality, BDS, and Heretics. What's going to be your team's score at the end of the week?
Jackies: “Realistically, we can end the week 3-0. I might sound delusional but, judging from our scrims, I really think we have what it takes to make it happen. Our first game is going to decide it all and, if we beat Vitality, there's a real chance we will go undefeated this week.”
| How do you view the mid lane meta?
Jackies: “In my eyes, it depends on the player. I think there are going to be players playing aggressively and some who will go with scaling options. There's a really good variety of champions in mid lane at the moment. Some people will play Akali, LeBlanc, or even Yone... But then, on the other hand, there is Orianna, Azir... I feel there's going to be a lot of different champions. I'm really happy with this meta because I think my own pool is very diverse, and I hope to be able to show several different styles.”
| To finish up, what would you say is your role in the team? More of a raw carry? Or do you plan on becoming more of a captain for your team?
Jackies: “I really enjoy shot-calling, and I want to be a captain in the future. To be honest though, I don't think I have what it takes to lead a team right now, but it's something I want to do in the future. At the moment, I'm doing my best to do my job as a mid laner. If I'm on the side-lanes I'll call some stuff, but the main calls are from the team's experienced players [Odoamne, Patrik, IgNar].”
What's next?
Locked and loaded, Jackies and his team are ready to enter the
LEC 2024 Winter Split on
Saturday, January 13th. Playing against
Vitality in their first match, the team will be put in a decisive position which could make or break their upcoming first split. Spirits are high, but GX will have
a lot to prove as they look to impress the masses in their inaugural split following the
merger of GIANTS and EXCEL.
Week 1 GX LEC Schedule:
- Saturday 13th, 20:00 CET - GX vs VIT
- Sunday 14th, 17:00 CET - GX vs BDS
- Monday 15th, 19:00 CET - GX vs TH
GIANTX is ready for their entry in the LEC.
