The VCU guard’s thoughts are frequently on the conflict in his home country, but the support he has received from his team and fans has encouraged him. Shaw, AR Wed 12 Mar 2025 11.46 GMT
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During Virginia Commonwealth University’s final home game of the regular season, thousands of blue and yellow Ukrainian flags were proudly waved inside the Stuart C. Siegel Center in memory of Max Shulga. The gesture on senior night meant a great deal to Shulga, making him feel at home in Richmond, Virginia despite being far from his native Ukraine, as the country continues to experience unrest three years following Russia’s invasion.
“It’s been all love since I transferred here [from Utah State] two years ago,” Shulga says. I see it everywhere in Richmond and at every game. I appreciate it and it shows a lot about our fanbase. It’s like a large family, and everyone helps each other. With his immediate family members still residing in Kyiv, the entire VCU community has found meaningful ways to show solidarity for Shulga, from chanting “Slava Ukraini,” a salute that translates to “Glory to Ukraine,” to preparing a meal that reminds him of home.
Days before senior night, VCU’s executive chef Jennifer Taylor surprised Shulga by serving him borscht, a signature Ukrainian dish.
During a recent press conference, VCU head coach Ryan Odom stated, “He walked in and he didn’t know it was coming.” “He thought to himself, “If I grew up in America, there’s no way I would eat this,” when he saw the large pot. But I grew up in Kyiv and I love it!’ He stated that his mother would prepare it once per week. He sat down with his teammates and shared a cup, which was neat. On the court, Shulga, a 6ft 5in guard, was named this week as the Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Year and First Team All-Conference. Beyond sports, Shulga represents the resilience of his homeland as uncertainty surrounds Ukraine and US political relations, even after Tuesday’s announcement of a 30-day ceasefire in the war with Russia.
In the same week that Shulga was named A-10 Player of the Week in the latter part of February, an intense meeting between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump at the White House had global repercussions. After the event, the Trump Administration stopped providing Ukraine with military and intelligence support, which it resumed this week. Amid the turmoil, basketball gives Shulga a sense of solace as he finds personal peace while playing the game.
“Everything kind of just disappears when I’m on the court, playing in the game,” Shulga asserts. And all I’m thinking about is what I’m doing right now in that particular game. I was able to just stay focused on basketball. I’ll be able to get away from everything that’s been going on by playing basketball. Shulga’s passion for basketball began as a child in Kyiv, where family life revolved around sports. Shulga’s father officiated Fiba basketball games, allowing his son to observe and learn from some of the world’s best players. Shulga’s uncle was a professional soccer player in Europe, and Shulga’s grandfather also worked as a referee. Shulga moved to Spain when he was 14 to improve his skills while attending the prestigious Basketball School of Excellence. He was a standout player by his senior year. He returned home to lead Ukraine in the 2019 Fiba European Championships before starting his college career at Utah State. This experience gave him a great deal of pride. According to Shulga, “It’s a different feeling to just go out there with your brothers from back home.” It’s always great to play for the national team. It’s a different feeling to play for your country and just have Ukraine on your chest. You believe you are competing for a lot more than just basketball. It’s always an honor.”
Under different circumstances, Shulga returned to play for Ukraine at the 2022 Fiba European Championships. The Russian invasion of Ukraine, which necessitated the team’s training in Italy, occurred just a few months before the games. Through his on-court leadership, he gave hope to the tournament by scoring 26 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in an overtime thriller against the Czech Republic. Despite Shulga’s continued development of elite playmaking skills, the war began to take a toll on him while he was attending Utah State. His former teammate Sean Bairstow informed Coach Odom, then in charge of Utah State, and his staff of Shulga’s struggles, prompting Odom to build a stronger rapport with his emerging star.
Odom stated at the VCU press conference, “I’m grateful for the experience that he and I have had together.” “Since that moment, Max has done well, and he has weathered several different storms related to the war and what’s going on there along the way,” the author writes. When Shulga transferred to VCU in 2023 and moved in with Odom on the East Coast, he continued to gain momentum and improved in every statistical category. VCU began this season to win the A-10 Championship and so far, they are right on track. Led by Shulga, who averaged 15.5 points per game and six rebounds, the Rams (25-6) finished the regular season as co-champions along with George Mason. They enter the A-10 Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament as the No. 1 seed.
Shulga describes the team’s approach to tournament play as “the mindset is the same as it has been for every other game throughout the season.” “We just want to keep our composure throughout every game, do what we’ve practiced, and trust what we’ve practiced… Our goal was to win the A-10 Championship, but we didn’t succeed last year. We all returned full of energy and eager to compete for the championship. The Capital One Arena in Washington, DC, where the A-10 Conference Tournament will take place this week is just a few miles from where political leaders will continue to debate the Russia-Ukraine war and US involvement. It’s expected that VCU fans and supporters of Ukraine will fill the arena and wave Ukrainian flags to encourage Shulga and everyone affected by the war.
While Shulga focuses on leading the Rams to an A-10 Championship and success in the 2025 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, the hope for peace and a return to normalcy in his homeland endures.
Shulga states, “It’s good to see that people care and are going outside to rally [for Ukraine].” It’s encouraging to see the support, but I’m not sure how much of a difference it really makes. If peace could be established quickly, that would be wonderful.
