While I’m home waiting for a tree service to show up—and testing out a new audio setup—I decided to hit record on a quick 15-minute dive into a strange, telling contrast between the IJBL and the NBA: in both leagues, everyone talks about the glory at the top, but few talk about the climb—and in the IJBL, it’s rarely anything but brutal.

This episode looks at what most (but not all) IJBL champions had to endure before tasting victory—and the surprising emotions some of them felt immediately after reaching the summit. Pain, pressure, even a little emptiness. Because in this league, heartbreak isn’t just what happens before the win. Sometimes, it’s what follows.

Just 15 minutes. No big production. Just me, the mic, and a quiet reflection on the cost of the climb.