Max Shulga
Max Shulga, born on June 25, 2002, in Kyiv, Ukraine, is a professional basketball player currently with the Boston Celtics. Standing 6’5″ tall and weighing 209 lbs, Shulga plays as a point guard or shooting guard. He is known for his robust playmaking and excellent shooting range. Fluent in four languages – Ukrainian, Russian, Spanish, and English – Max is the son of Boris Shulga and Olga Sosnovska. Shulga’s basketball journey began in Ukraine before he moved to Spain at age 11 to attend Colegio Leones in León. At 14, he transferred to the Basketball Excellence School in Torrelodones, Spain, where he excelled, leading the league in scoring with an average of 16 points per game. His high school career laid the groundwork for his collegiate success in the United States. Max Shulga began his collegiate basketball career at Utah State in 2020. During his freshman year (2020-21), he played in 23 games, averaging 1.6 points and 0.3 assists per game. In his sophomore season (2021-22), he appeared in 34 of 36 games, starting two, and improved his averages to 4.4 points and 1.0 assists per game, with an impressive .450 three-point shooting percentage. His junior year (2022-23) at Utah State was a breakout season, where he started all 35 games, averaging career highs of 11.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game. He earned All-Mountain West Conference honorable mention and recorded four double-doubles. He notably scored a career-high 29 points against Air Force and dished out 11 assists against Utah Tech. Following his junior season, Shulga entered the NCAA transfer portal after the departure of Utah State’s head coach. He transferred to Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) for his senior season (2023-24). During this season, he appeared in 37 games, averaging 14.0 points, 3.6 assists, and 4.9 rebounds per game. He was instrumental in VCU’s success, recording seven 20-point games and setting a program record for three-pointers made in a single season with 86. He continued his strong performance in the 2024-25 season at VCU, averaging 15.0 points, 3.8 assists, and 4.6 rebounds per game in 35 games. Highlights of his collegiate career include being named the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year in 2025 and a two-time First Team All-Atlantic 10 selection in 2024 and 2025. In May 2025, Max Shulga was among the 75 players invited to the NBA Draft Combine, a testament to his growing profile. He was subsequently selected by the Orlando Magic as the 57th overall pick in the second round of the 2025 NBA draft. Shortly thereafter, his draft rights were traded to the Boston Celtics. On August 7, 2025, Shulga officially signed a two-way contract with the Boston Celtics, marking the start of his professional NBA career. He is also assigned to the Maine Celtics, Boston’s G-League affiliate, indicating a path for further development and playing time.
