Christopher "PapaSmithy" Smith is trading in the LCK microphone to become the new League of Legends general manager for 100 Thieves heading into the 2020 season, the team announced Wednesday. The move comes after 100 Thieves failed to make the League Championship Series postseason in either the spring or summer split.
"We're committed to building a League of Legends program that annually competes for championships, and having a strong general manager is a key factor in making that a reality," Matthew "Nadeshot" Haag, founder and CEO of 100 Thieves, told ESPN. "After an exhaustive search, we found Chris "PapaSmithy" Smith and believe he has the experience and vision to make that possible."
The move ends a storied career of commentating for Smith. He announced on social media following the most recent LCK final at the Korea University Tiger Dome, the venue in which he cast his first final in South Korea four years prior, that it would be his last.
"I've been looking for a future direction that lets me use my experiences to build something in esports because esports is the field I feel most passionate about," Smith said.
"Chris Smith is one of the most well-respected analysts and commentators in the esports industry," Jacob Toft-Andersen, VP of Esports for 100 Thieves, told ESPN. "His background makes him more than qualified to be our LoL team's general manager and his vision for the future aligns with what 100 Thieves is trying to achieve."
The team started 0-5 in the LCS, and rallied as the season went on to make it to a tiebreaker match for the last spot in the playoffs, but missed out after losing to OpTic Gaming.
"I want to make 100 Thieves an organization that North America is proud of," Smith said.