JamesPangks: “Natakot Akong Magkamali.”
When AP BREN sank to last place in Season 15, fear gripped JamesPangks, and the joy of playing was buried beneath waves of negativity.
MPL PH Season 15 marked the debut of James Mendoza—better known as JamesPangks—in the professional MLBB scene. Throughout the season, he carried the weight of every mistake, as if each one could cost him everything.
“Sobra yung pressure na naramdaman naming lahat last season kaya natakot akong magkamali,” JamesPangks told ALL-STAR.
“Naiisip ko kasi na kapag nagkamali ako, baka sa akin mapunta yung sisi. Baka magkaroon ng chance na ako yung matanggal sa team.”
(“We all felt so much pressure last season that I was afraid to make mistakes. I kept thinking that if I messed up, the blame might fall on me—and that there was a chance I’d be removed from the team.”)
Instead of passion, pressure fueled his every move. Instead of trust, there was doubt. And instead of courage, there was hesitation.
“Puro negativity yung nasa isip ko to the point na hindi ko na nae-enjoy yung paglalaro,” he continued.
(“My mind was filled with so much negativity that I stopped enjoying the game.”)
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“Mahalaga ay natuto ako sa pagkakamali ko.”
For JamesPangks, the toughest opponent wasn’t across the stage—it was the one in the mirror.
Slowly, he turned fear into fuel. Mistakes became lessons. And negativity became growth.
“Inayos ko yung mind setting ko. Sa tingin ko yung takot yung naging unang kalaban ko. Tinatak ko sa isip ko na bawat laro ay ibibigay ko palagi yung best ko tapos kung magkamali, may chance pa naman ako bumawi, ang mahalaga ay natuto ako sa pagkakamali ko,” he said.
“From negative, ginawa ko na lang positive palagi. Lahat tine-take ko na lang na nakabubuti sa akin,” JamesPangks continued.
(“I worked on fixing my mindset. I realized that fear was my first real opponent. I kept telling myself that in every game, I should always give my best—and if I make mistakes, there’s always a chance to recover. What matters is that I learn from them. I turned the negatives into positives, taking everything as something that could help me grow.”)
“Nauunahan lang talaga ako ng takot.”
Behind that major shift was his support system.
His girlfriend and family reminded him that stumbles are part of the journey, not the end of it. They made him realize that he is just getting started, defeats and downfalls are part of his journey as a pro player.
“Malaking bagay ang nagbigay sa akin ng confidence ko is yung girlfriend ko tsaka family ko. Mino-motivate nila ako na bumawi lang sa lahat ng bagay.”
“Sila talaga yung isa sa mga naging bagay kung paano ko naayos yung mindset na parang nasasabi ko sa sarili ko na ‘Oo nga. Kaya ko naman talaga. Nauunahan lang talaga ako ng takot,’” he continued.
(“A big part of what gave me confidence was my girlfriend and my family. They kept motivating me to bounce back from everything. They were really the ones who helped me fix my mindset, to the point where I could tell myself, ‘That’s right. I really can do this. It’s just that fear keeps getting the better of me.”)
Additional wisdom also came with newly added members of the AP BREN Arvie “Aqua” Calderon and Jhon Marl “Lord JM” Sebastian.
“Sobrang laki ng naging impact ng pagdating nina Aqua at Lord JM sa amin… sinabi nila na tapangan ko lang sa bawat laro,” he added.
(“The arrival of Aqua and Lord JM made a huge impact on us… they told me to just play every game with courage.”)
JamesPangks: Expect the Unexpected
It’s never easy for a rookie to step onto the MPL PH stage—the world’s toughest in MLBB esports.
But JamesPangks is no longer a rookie, and he’s no longer afraid of making mistakes.
Once a rookie shaken on the MPL PH stage, JamesPangks has grown into a steadier, stronger player. From fear, he found fire—and this season, he’s ready to prove himself
“Ang ma-expect ninyo sa akin this season is makikita ninyo ang mas matapang na JamesPangks at mas nag-improve pa lalo. Inalis ko na sa utak ko yung mga bagay na hindi na makatutulong. Kaya expect the unexpected. Ibibigay ko na lahat ngayong season.”
(“This season, you’ll see a braver and better JamesPangks. I’ve shut out the thoughts that hold me back. So expect the unexpected—I’m giving it my all this season.”
