94/50 Podcast Epiphany La’Sha interview on being cut

The 94/50 Podcast Epiphany La’Sha interview brought Ilyas Kurbanov together with La’Sha to discuss being cut from a basketball team, finding a place in broadcasting and building a show around stories sports media might overlook. He also explained how MILLIONS helps him make clips while he balances podcasting with work and other commitments.

How did 94/50 Podcast get its name and begin?

94/50 Podcast takes its name from the 94-foot length and 50-foot width of a basketball court. Kurbanov got the idea from a friend who had 94 by 50 tattooed behind her ear. He asked what it meant, remembered the design and eventually used it as the name of his show.

A basketball court and a friend’s tattoo

The friend had played basketball at university in Halifax. For Kurbanov, the dimensions made a name that connected the podcast to the game before a listener heard an episode. His interest in making the show also grew from his own experience as a player and journalism student.

Starting, pausing and returning

Kurbanov had considered podcasting before he launched the show. He began recording interviews during COVID, when he had more time, but later put the project on pause while balancing school, basketball and work. More recently, he returned to interviews, streams and short clips. A trip to Italy and a new job interrupted that routine, and he was working out how to resume it.

How has MILLIONS helped 94/50 Podcast make clips?

MILLIONS has helped Kurbanov spend less time turning interviews into social posts. He said its streaming and content tools let him download prepared clips rather than review and edit every conversation himself, a change he described as saving hours while he manages work and family commitments.

When he first started, he went through entire interviews to find moments worth cutting. He then had to make the clips and decide where to publish them. Now, he said, content prepared through MILLIONS can be posted to platforms such as TikTok and Instagram with fewer steps on his end.

Kurbanov noted that AI editing tools have become more available since he began. Even with those tools, finding, preparing and distributing material takes time. For a show he produces on his own, reducing that work makes it easier to keep sharing interviews.

How did basketball and broadcasting shape 94/50 Podcast?

Basketball gave Kurbanov the subject he knew best, while journalism and game broadcasting gave him ways to stay involved beyond playing. He started basketball at eight, took it more seriously after his family moved to Canada and later played in Montreal and Halifax.

Playing in Montreal and Halifax

In Montreal, Kurbanov joined a college basketball program as a walk-on and spent three years there. He studied sports marketing and management before studying journalism at University of King's College in Halifax, where he also played university basketball.

His attachment to sports extended beyond the court. He grew up watching games with his family, including European soccer with his brother. Although basketball remained his first love, that wider interest helped him move into coverage of other sports.

Writing and calling games

While studying journalism, Kurbanov wrote sports features for The Dalhousie Gazette when his schedule allowed. Through that work, he met people in broadcasting and at Dalhousie University who helped him begin calling games. He covered basketball and volleyball there and later added soccer.

What happened when 94/50 Podcast host Ilyas Kurbanov was cut from his basketball team?

Being cut after a coaching change was difficult for Kurbanov because basketball had shaped his sense of who he was. He began broadcasting games, including games for the school where he had played. After that coach left following one season, Kurbanov worked his way back onto the team.

Calling games while no longer playing

Kurbanov said he initially did not know what to do without his regular place on the team. He tried working out without a ball and finding other interests, but broadcasting kept him close to basketball. Calling games for his former team could bring conflicting feelings: he remained friends with players and wanted them to do well, even as he dealt with being cut.

Finding support and returning to the team

He also had to navigate the change while young and away from family in a different town. Friends, family and mentors helped him separate the coaching decision from his worth as a person. His advice to other players who have been cut is to speak with people they trust rather than let one roster decision define them. When another coach arrived, he returned to playing.

What does 94/50 Podcast say sports media misses?

Kurbanov believes sports media too often follows trends and pursues the best-known guests while passing over smaller stories. On his own show, the immediate challenge is finding people willing to join him and share their experiences, whether they work in basketball or have another connection to sport.

Finding guests willing to talk

Editing and managing social channels took the most time when Kurbanov began. Now he sees guest outreach as the harder task. Some people do not respond; others are glad to discuss their challenges, playing experiences and goals. He hopes those conversations reach someone who recognizes a possibility in another person’s story.

Why lesser-known stories matter

Kurbanov put his criticism of sports coverage this way:

I think everyone wants the biggest fish in the pond and the smaller fish get missed

He was not arguing that popular podcasts lack effort. His concern was that chasing what is already popular can leave worthwhile stories untold. A conversation does not need the largest audience, he said, to change one person’s perspective for the better.

What advice does 94/50 Podcast give on starting a podcast?

Kurbanov advises new podcasters to start with a plan, keep the format manageable and publish consistently. He learned the cost of an irregular schedule through his own show. His goal for 94/50 Podcast is to keep growing while telling stories and analyzing games, without making audience size its sole purpose.

Advice from a Montreal radio internship

The idea for a podcast was already on his mind in 2017, when he interned at a sports radio station in Montreal. Kurbanov recalled encouragement from Sean Campbell, christina island and tony marinara, three people he worked with closely there. Their message was to begin and talk about subjects he knew.

His practical advice is to decide what the show will cover and how often it can appear. A short interview every week or two is one possible starting point, provided the schedule is realistic. He said that when he became more consistent and set clearer plans for his work with MILLIONS, he had a better sense of what he was making and when.

Continuing the show with Brendan Graham

Kurbanov wants to continue interviews and game analysis. He also usually makes a weekly podcast with his friend Brendan Graham, where they discuss sports and share opinions. He would welcome more growth for 94/50 Podcast, but said he wants to enjoy doing it first. The show has a presence on Instagram, TikTok, MILLIONS, Facebook and YouTube; he was also considering how to make it available on Spotify.

Who is Ilyas Kurbanov?

Ilyas Kurbanov is a former basketball player and journalism student with experience in sports marketing and sports journalism. He started 94/50 Podcast to give athletes, coaches and others involved in sports a place to tell stories from both on and off the playing field.