Jerome Randle Exhausted but Relieved to Be Home From War-Torn Ukraine
Jerome Randle said he won’t soon forget the looks on the faces of his teammates on Ukrainian national team.
It was Thursday and they were in Spain for a World Cup qualifying game while Russia was invading Ukraine.
“Anything that’s going on, not only am I hearing it but I see the emotions and sadness behind what’s actually going on in the country,” Randle said in a phone interview Saturday evening. "I’m getting it from the people who are worried about their families that are left behind. It’s tough.”
Randle narrowly missed the horrors of the assault, leaving with his team for Spain two days before the fighting began.
He took a 12-hour flight back to the U.S from Madrid on Saturday, landing at San Francisco International in time to drive to Haas Pavilion to catch some of Cal’s win over Stanford.
Asked to describe the past few days, Randle said, “I don’t even know if crazy is the word. It’s a little over the top. I’m exhausted. I’m just glad I’m not there anymore.”
Randle — who is Cal’s career scoring leader and led the Bears to the 2010 Pac-10 championship, their first conference title in 50 years — has played internationally for more than a decade. He has made successful stops all across the globe, including in France, Russia, Turkey and Australia, where he was twice MVP of the country’s National Basketball League.
He has dual citizenship with Ukraine and is one of the top players on the country’s national team. On Thursday night, Randle scored 21 points in Ukraine’s 88-74 loss to Spain.
He was surprised the game was even played.
“It was definitely difficult. A lot of guys said they didn’t have any motivation to go out there and play basketball, and rightfully so,” Randle said. “I have so much respect for those guys still be able to play, knowing they’re thinking about their family and friends.”
Randle and the team left Ukraine on Tuesday, two days before Russia invaded. As a result, he doesn’t expect to see his belongings that were left behind.
Randle, who plans to play perhaps one more season before retiring, has been released from his contract to his Kyiv-based team. He hopes to complete this season with another team in Europe or Asia.
But he said he cannot imagine returning to Ukraine. “As of now I would say absolutely not.”
Cover photo of former Cal star Jerome Randle by Kim Klement, USA Today
Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo
