Celtics star Svi Mykhailiuk says ‘I’m just trying to bring joy back’ to war-torn Ukraine after winning NBA Finals

Winning the 2024 NBA Finals had an entirely different level of importance for Svi Mykhailiuk.

While trying to cater to the TD Garden crowd and most of New England, the Boston Celtics winger also represented Europe’s second-largest country in the title series with the Dallas Mavericks.

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The country is Ukraine, which has been defending itself against Russia’s devastating full-scale invasion since February 2022.

The bloody conflict claimed around 40,000 Ukrainian lives in its first two years.

A quarter of them were civilians, according to a report by the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.

Russia’s offensive in eastern regions and missile strikes that hit targets across the country have forced nearly 6.5 million Ukrainians to flee the country, according to the report. UN.

Meanwhile, around 14.6 million required humanitarian assistance.

It’s no wonder Mykhailiuk, 27, felt extra pressure during the Boston championship, knowing the triumph would put a smile on many faces in his home country.

“As everyone knows, there’s a war at home,” the 6-foot-2 point guard told The US Sun after the Celtics won their 18th NBA title in Game 5 of the Finals.

“I’m just trying to make my people proud and trying to bring joy home.”

Mykhailiuk – who displayed his country’s flag during the trophy ceremony – became the second Ukrainian to win an NBA title, following in the footsteps of former Los Angeles Lakers forward Slava Medvedenko.

As with Medvedenko, the sharpshooter’s path to the NBA also went through Los Angeles, with the Lakers selecting the Cherkasy, Kansas native in the second round of the 2018 draft.

They traded him during his rookie season, beginning Mykhailiuk’s years-long search for a new home that saw him play for five different teams before signing with the Celtics last summer.

The Ukrainian caught Boston’s attention after a strong 19-game run with the Charlotte Hornets in the second half of 2022-23, during which he averaged 10.6 points and 22.5 minutes per game.

His playing time inevitably dropped while on the stacked C’s team.

Still, Mykhailiuk proved to be a reliable player, recording 4.0 points and 1.2 rebounds while also shooting 38.9% from 3 in 41 regular-season games.

The Ukrainian says he still doesn’t know what the future holds after his one-year contract with the Celtics expires this summer.

But he says he likes it here in New England, like someone leaving a championship photo shoot with the Larry O’Brien trophy.

“Man, it’s amazing,” Mykhailiuk said when asked what it’s like to be an NBA champion.

“I’ve been in the league for six years.

“It’s the best team I’ve ever been on. Best organization.”

“It’s a great experience. Surreal. Surreal.”