That is especially true for Pavlo Dziuba, a Kyiv, Ukraine native who has been playing basketball at Maryland while his home country and family still in Ukraine are under constant threat from Russia.
When the attacks began in late February of 2022, basketball was the least of Dziuba’s concerns. While his teammates and peers were focused on games and tests, he was worrying for his family’s safety across the world. After a few weeks, basketball became an outlet for Dziuba—as well as a platform to promote some much-needed awareness about the war.
Dziuba spoke on SportsCenter, detailing what it was like to watch the places of some of his best childhood memories, like his old basketball gym, go up in flames after the attacks. He also shared valuable information about assistance efforts on his social media. Additionally, he would carry the Ukraine flag around him during some pregame activities and would write messages in support of Ukraine on his basketball shoes for everyone watching to see.
“I just wanted to let people know that it’s really important,” Dziuba said. “There is a war going on and Ukraine needs support.”
The first time Dziuba wrapped the flag around him at a game, he was met with roaring applause from the Maryland faithful, something that meant a great deal to him.
“It was so nice,” Dziuba said. “I felt a lot of support from the fans. That was really cool.”
For Dziuba, it has been important to use his platform to give a voice to a topic that a great number of Americans struggle to comprehend.
“I feel like a lot of Americans, even some coaches don’t even understand. Sometimes, there are rockets coming half a mile away from my mother and father. It’s scary and it’s hard to understand for a lot of people.”
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