Niagara is a vibe, from the community to the front office! Returning to Niagara was an easy choice for Jaylen. Jaylen also takes us back to the beginning where he fell in love with the game. Off the floor, Jaylen is a barber, shoutout JBH Fresh! Jaylen walks us through balancing both his brand and basketball. Its Championship season, Niagara is focused on bringing it home! 

CEBL - https://www.instagram.com/cebleague/

Dhanung Bulsara - https://www.instagram.com/dhanung/

Tidal League - https://www.instagram.com/tidalleague/

Ashley Hamilton talks us through his first impressions of Montreal and Canada. How The Montréal Alliance has welcomed him as one of their own. Ashley shares the grind that comes with playing all year round in multiple countries.

CEBL - https://www.instagram.com/cebleague/

Dhanung Bulsara - https://www.instagram.com/dhanung/

Tidal League - https://www.instagram.com/tidalleague/

All the way from the endsss we welcome Co-owner of the Scarborough Shooting Stars. Starting with the people of Scarborough they hold on to the culture and language, from the shops to the road signs, Scarborough is culturally special. Pairing basketball and Scarborough was always a dream but bringing it together was a process and to see it through is a blessing. Shoutout to Mike Morreale for making the connection with Niko, it may of seemed odd but it was the perfect partnership. The CEBL provides real-life experience and proximity to achieving you dreams. Plus some J. Cole gems, a humble and incredible human being. 

CEBL - https://www.instagram.com/cebleague/

Dhanung Bulsara - https://www.instagram.com/dhanung/

Sam Ibrahim - https://www.instagram.com/samibrahim40/

Tidal League - https://www.instagram.com/tidalleague/

The league is on fire right now, what a start to the season. All the stars and celebrities have shown up in full effect. Today we welcome Dj Alize! He touches on how refreshing it is to be performing live again and the energy that was missed. From origin stories to the marriage between Hip Hop & Basketball, we touch on Championship weekend last year in Edmonton plus a special interaction between Alize and J. Cole. 

CEBL - https://www.instagram.com/cebleague/

Dhanung Bulsara - https://www.instagram.com/dhanung/

Dj Alize - https://www.instagram.com/djalizecanada/

Tidal League - https://www.instagram.com/tidalleague/

Origin stories for the Ottawa BlackJacks and the “Road to the Chip” - Ottawa is a community that loves basketball and is the perfect venue to host this year's CEBL Championship. 

CEBL - https://www.instagram.com/cebleague/

Dhanung Bulsara - https://www.instagram.com/dhanung/

Tidal League - https://www.instagram.com/tidalleague/

For milestone episode 20, Kat is joined by athlete portrait artist and humanitarian Carling Jackson. A commissioned artist by athletes themselves, Known as the “Athlete Artist” Carling is sought after by many big names. She and Kat speak to how sport, and now art, has saved her life and gotten her through some of the darkest times. Speaking to the athletes who inspire, Carling has focused much of her personal work on athletes who have broken barriers of colour and race in their respective sports. Using a part of her profits, Carling is also a “Humanitarian Artist” partnering with agencies like the UN, Save the Children, Indigenous Women in Canada and the NAACP to name a few. Tap in to hear the inspiring story of how sport has influenced and shaped not only her art, but entire life.

CEBL - https://www.instagram.com/cebleague/

Kat Stefankiewicz - https://www.instagram.com/matterofkat/

Carling Jackson - https://www.instagram.com/carlingjacksonart/

Artist, student, and a winner of the Toronto Raptors x OVO Creators Program, Ernesto Cabral- also known as A Broken Iris – is a true showcase of the connection between basketball and art.

In this episode, Kat and Ernesto sit down to peel-back the many layers of his art discussing, where his love for art and basketball began, the inspirations for his work, embracing imperfections and more. Plus, they discuss how immigrating to Canada has pushed Ernesto to create art that speaks to the immigrant experience. Allowing him to not only tell his story but inspire others along the way. 

CEBL - https://www.instagram.com/cebleague/

Kat Stefankiewicz - https://www.instagram.com/matterofkat/

Ernesto Cabral - https://www.instagram.com/abrokeniris/

Usually telling stories through his photographs, today we hear from him in depth. Making the most of the pandemic through teaching and connecting, he is now excited for new opportunities.

We learn about his inspiration for the arts and his original YouTube channel well before the age of today's influencers. Early days in the industry and how being opportunistic can lead to growth. Plus his favourite shoot to date and his aspirations moving forward.

CEBL - https://www.instagram.com/cebleague/

Kat Stefankiewicz - https://www.instagram.com/matterofkat/

Kishan Mistry - https://www.instagram.com/_kishanmistry/

To kick off 2022, Kat is joined by Stefan Ali on this episode of CEBL Life. Stefan is an entrepreneur, founder, and owner of Hourglass Barbershop in St. Catherine’s, Ontario. Born and raised in St. Catherine’s Stefan’s passion for art and culture has taken him all across Ontario.  

Stefan’s success in barbering sparked in Toronto, where he was connected with various CFL players who relied on him for their game-day cuts. From there, Hourglass has grown from just a barbershop into a brand, and they discuss Stefan’s goal to bring what he has learned about art and culture back to the growing city of St. Catherine’s.

   They talk about the growing connection between barbering and basketball culture as unique hairstyles have become a popular way for athletes to display their personality while in uniform. They discuss Hourglass’s growing success as the go-to barbershop for the Niagara River Lions, and how the brand attempts to introduce new concepts into the traditional barber scene emphasizing their motto as “the value of time”.  

CEBL - https://www.instagram.com/cebleague/

Kat Stefankiewicz - https://www.instagram.com/matterofkat/

HOURGLASS - https://www.instagram.com/hourglassbarbers/

Ansh Sanyal, Director of Brand and Marketing for the CEBL joins Kat fresh off media day for the BCL Americas - the biggest and the best basketball league of the Americas. The CEBL gets to take part in it’s first season with the Edmonton Stingers, our CEBL Champions, representing the league and Canada’s representation there. Kat and Ansh talk about the behind the scenes for this exciting premier and what fans have to look forward to. 

Growing up in India, in an extremely musical family, Ansh got his start as a musician who found a love for communications, and had an extremely promising career in marketing as a young graduate now living in Toronto. Sport had always been in his life as well - giving him joy, relaxation and comfort, but it wasn’t until a hiatus from his 9-5 that he realized he could have both in his life. Tap in to hear this journey of discovery and inspiration.

CEBL - https://www.instagram.com/cebleague/

Kat Stefankiewicz - https://www.instagram.com/matterofkat/