Come Fly With Me
I recently sat down with Thùy Minh on ON AIR by Vietcetera x VietJet Air.
It wasn’t a typical interview.
It felt like a flight, about coming home, building belief, and taking Vietnam further.
The Underdog Mentality
I was born and raised in America.
Growing up, I was proud to be Vietnamese. But back then, Vietnam wasn’t really on the global stage the way it is now.
So I made a decision early:
If the world wasn’t paying attention yet, we’d build something they couldn’t ignore.
That decision eventually brought me back home to the motherland.
More Than Just Esports
Through GAM Esports, we’re not just playing games.
We’re building:
- Discipline
- Confidence
- Pride
- Representation
Esports is the vehicle.
Belief is the engine.
Worlds 2022 — The Moment
Worlds 2022.
Global stage.
Packed arena.
Pressure everywhere.
And then the crowd started chanting:
“G-A-M! G-A-M! G-A-M!”
That wasn’t just a match.
That was proof.
Vietnam was always the underdog.
But belief changes everything.
In This Episode
- 2:10 The two most important flights of my career: a one-way ticket to Vietnam on 7 June 2014, and GAM's first flight to Taipei for the LCP
- 5:06 Why esports: growing up in America without seeing Vietnamese faces on the big stages
- 7:15 What makes Vietnamese players special
- 8:38 SEA Games 31 gold, and the parents in the stands
- 11:38 The ups and downs of 2025: the LCP, MSI, the Esports World Cup and Levi's retirement
- 15:39 The bigger vision: a jersey Vietnam can be proud of
- 19:59 Worlds 2022 in New York: GAM vs Top Esports
- 27:43 The 2026 goals
- 29:37 Still a one-way ticket
In My Words
On the flight that changed everything (2:57 to 3:28):
"It was 7 June 2014. A life-changing flight. I didn't know what I would do in Vietnam. Maybe I'd fail and have to come back, or maybe I'd stay for the rest of my life."
On why esports (5:21):
"Growing up in America, I wasn't very proud to be Asian or Vietnamese, because I never saw us anywhere. Not in sports, not in entertainment, not in business. Esports was a chance for Vietnam to compete with the world."
On Vietnamese talent (7:15):
"Vietnamese people are very smart, and esports is high-speed problem solving. We have the raw talent. What our players didn't have was the environment and the chance to shine."
On a hard year (13:47):
"We fall seven times, so how do we stand up eight? GAM isn't about one win or one loss. It's becoming a movement for the next generation."
On the night at Worlds 2022 (22:15):
"When the whole arena was chanting for Levi, I knew that what we're doing isn't for us. It's for the next generation."
On going home (29:53):
"In America they talk about the American dream. I feel like I'm finding my dream in Vietnam. I don't think I'm going anywhere."
The Part People Don’t See
We also talked about failure.
Because life isn’t straight up and to the right.
Sometimes you lose.
Sometimes you fall short.
Sometimes you’re disappointed.
But every low has a lesson built into it.
I don’t resent the hard moments.
They’re the reason we level up.
Why This Episode Matters
ON AIR is about journeys, reunion flights, self-discovery flights, and bold flights to bring Vietnam to the world.
And I truly believe this:
Vietnam is not small.
We just need more people willing to believe and build.
If you’ve ever felt like an underdog…
If you’ve ever wanted to represent something bigger than yourself…
This conversation is for you.
🎥 Watch Episode 1: TK Nguyen on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcast.
Come fly with us.
