Max Shulga, a Ukrainian professional basketball player and former VCU Rams star, recently made headlines with his entry into the NBA.
VCU basketball standout Max Shulga was drafted 57th overall in the second round of the NBA draft by the Orlando Magic and traded to the Boston Celtics on Thursday, June 27, 2025.
Max Shulga showcased his amazing athletic skills playing two seasons at VCU after starting his collegiate career at Utah State.
Furthermore, in his final season at VCU, Shulga averaged a career-high 15.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game, leading his team to win both the Atlantic 10 Conference regular-season championship and the Atlantic 10 Men’s Basketball Tournament championship.
As he heads toward his NBA career, Max Shulga continues to capture the attention of millions, with many curious to learn more about his parents and family background.
Maksym ‘Max’ Shulga was born on June 25, 2002, in Kyiv, Ukraine, as the oldest child to Ukrainian parents, Boris Shulga and Olga Sosnovska. His parents, along with his younger sister, Helena, reside in Ukraine.
Although Max Shulga has spent most of his life away from his parents and family in Ukraine, moving to Spain at age 11 to study and play basketball at Colegio Leones in León, then to Madrid at 14 to attend the Basketball School of Excellence in Torrelodones, and later to the United States at 18 to chase his basketball dreams, he frequently communicates with his parents and credits them for their constant support and guidance throughout his journey.
He also constantly communicated with his family during Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Max Shulga’s Father, Boris Shulga, Is a Veteran International Basketball Referee
Max Shulga comes from an athletic family with his father, Boris Shulga, uncle, and grandfather all working in the sports field.
His father, Boris Shulga, now retired, is a former seasoned basketball referee from Ukraine, widely respected across European and international basketball circuits.
Born on January 18, 1975, Shulga began officiating in 1991 and earned his FIBA international referee license in 1996.
Over the course of more than three decades, he built a remarkable resume, regularly appearing in major FIBA competitions, including World Cup Qualifiers, the FIBA Europe Cup, and the European Youth Championships.
In the 2017-2018 season, Boris Shulga served as a referee in several high-profile international games. Notably, he officiated matches in the FIBA World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers, including clashes between Poland and Lithuania, Belgium and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Greece and Estonia.
Similarly, Boris’ experience extended to youth tournaments as well, such as the U18 EuroBasket Division B in Skopje, North Macedonia, where he handled a range of group stage and knockout games.
In addition to his father, his grandfather also worked as a referee in the Basketball Federation of Ukraine, and his uncle played professionally in Europe.
Furthermore, Max’s father, Boris Shulga’s Facebook, shows that he studied at NAU, formerly known as KIIGA, KMUGA in Ukraine.
Regarding Max Shulga’s mother, Olga Sosnovska, she prefers to maintain a private life and hasn’t shared much about her profession; however, her Facebook profile indicates that she works at Body Formula-beauty, a hammam and fitness studio in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Similarly, Olga Sosnovska studied economics and management at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Max Shulga represented the Ukrainian national team at the 2019 U18 FIBA European Championships, scoring in double figures in all but two games during the tournament.
- At Utah State, Max was named an honorable mention All-Mountain West in 2023.
