Luka Šamanić

Luka Šamanić
No. 9 – Petrol Olimpija
Position Power forward
League ABA League
Slovenian League
Personal information
Born (2000-01-09) 9 January 2000
Zagreb, Croatia
Nationality Croatian
Listed height 2.11 m (6 ft 11 in)
Listed weight 95 kg (209 lb)
Career information
Playing career 2017–present
Career history
2017–2018 FC Barcelona B
2018–present Petrol Olimpija
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  Croatia
FIBA Europe U18 Championship B
2017 EstoniaNational team

Luka Šamanić (born 9 January 2000) is a Croatian professional basketball player for Petrol Olimpija of the Slovenian League and ABA League. A power forward, he is widely considered one of the top European prospects, and a potential lottery selection for the 2019 NBA draft.[1][2]

A native of Zagreb, Šamanić started his youth career with Croatian club Zagreb. In 2016, he moved to FC Barcelona in Spain, where he joined the reserve team in the Spanish second-tier league. Šamanić has represented Croatia multiple times in FIBA events, leading his team to a gold medal at the FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship Division B in 2017, while earning most valuable player honors.

Early life

Šamanić was born in Zagreb, Croatia.[3] His father Marko played basketball professionally for 19 years, including in the EuroLeague with Slovenian club Krka.[4] Due to his father's career, Šamanić lived in a number of countries in his early life. When he was nine months old, he moved to Belgium, and he later stayed in Slovenia and Germany.[5] Šamanić grew up playing football, handball, and tennis, and was also involved in breakdancing.[6][7] He did not start playing basketball, the last sport he attempted, until he was 11 years old.[7] Still, he credits his football experience for improving his coordination as a basketball player.[5]

Youth career

Šamanić began his basketball career at the youth levels with local club Zagreb.[8] He collected 29 points, 10 rebounds, 4 steals, and 3 blocks for Zagreb in a 22 November 2014 win over the junior team for Šanac Karlovac.[9] On 16 November, he recorded 43 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 steals for Zagreb to help defeat Samobor, 160–21.[10] On 3 January 2016, Šamanić led his team to a championship win against Virtus Roma in a youth tournament in Italy, for which he earned most valuable player (MVP) honors.[11] He scored 32 points on 16 January, in a blowout 111–43 win over the Rudeš junior team.[12] Later in the month, Šamanić dominated versus the Cedevita junior team, notching 26 points, 10 rebounds, 4 steals, and 4 blocks.[13] He continued his success on 22 February, when he erupted for 39 points and 21 rebounds in a 160–50 win over the junior team for Sisak.[14] On 29 May, Šamanić was named MVP of the Croatian cadet championship after his double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds in a blowout of Cibona junior squad.[15] In June, he attended the Adidas EuroCamp, a three-day pre-National Basketball Association (NBA) draft camp for international prospects held in Treviso, Italy.[6][16]

On 14 June 2016, Šamanić signed a 2-year amateur contract with Spanish club FC Barcelona, initially joining its junior ranks.[6][17][18] On 22 December, he won the Slam Dunk Contest at a youth tournament in Tenerife.[19] In January 2017, Šamanić played with Barcelona's junior team at the Ciutat de L'Hospitalet qualifiers for the 2016–17 Adidas Next Generation Tournament and was one year younger than most of his opponents at both events.[20][21] In his first game at the qualifiers, on 6 January, he recorded 11 points and 5 rebounds in a 79–56 win over the Olimpija junior team.[22] In the final tournament in May, Šamanić averaged 8.7 points, 6 rebounds, and 0.7 assists through 3 games, earning the Rising Star Trophy.[21][23] Later that month, he won the Slam Dunk Contest at the EuroLeague FanZone, a three-day entertainment event at the 2017 EuroLeague Final Four.[24][25]

By August 2017, Šamanić was drawing attention from several NCAA Division I programs, including Florida, Gonzaga, and Purdue.[26] In the 2017–18 season with Barcelona's junior team, he assumed a greater role after many of its top players left.[4] In January 2018, Šamanić joined Barcelona at the Ciutat de L'Hospitalet qualifiers for the 2017–18 Adidas Next Generation Tournament.[23] He posted 27 points, 16 rebounds, and 3 blocks on 7 January, as his team lost to the Joventut Badalona junior team in the championship.[27] Still, Šamanić was named L'Hospitalet tournament MVP and earned All-Tournament Team honors after averaging 23.2 points, 14.8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2.8 blocks through 4 games.[23][28]

Professional career

FC Barcelona B (2017–2018)

In the 2017–18 season, Šamanić competed for FC Barcelona Bàsquet B—the reserve team of FC Barcelona—in the LEB Oro, the second-tier Spanish league.[29] He debuted on 1 October 2017, in a 76–69 win over Força Lleida, playing only 4 minutes.[30] Šamanić stood out in his next game versus Cáceres, scoring 10 points in 20 minutes and performing a windmill dunk.[31] On 4 November 2017, he scored 11 points in 19 minutes against Araberri.[32] In his following appearance, Šamanić collected 10 points and 8 rebounds in a win over Peñas Huesca.[33] He scored a season-high 17 points on 9 February 2018, leading his team past Palencia.[34] Through 22 games, Šamanić averaged 5.1 points, 2 rebounds, and 0.7 assists in 12.7 minutes per game.[23] In February 2018, he took part in a Basketball Without Borders camp in Los Angeles, joining several other international NBA prospects.[35]

Olimpija (2018–present)

On 31 May 2018, Šamanić signed a multi-year professional contract with Petrol Olimpija of the Slovenian League and ABA League.[36] He joined Olimpija after failing to agree to terms with Croatian club Zadar.[37] Šamanić debuted for Olimpija on 21 September in a 86–60 loss to Crvena zvezda at the 2018 ABA League Supercup, recording 2 points and 3 rebounds in 19 minutes.[38]

National team career

Šamanić represents Croatia in FIBA competition. He made his national team debut at the 2016 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship in Radom, Poland.[5] On 16 August 2016, Šamanić recorded 17 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists, and 9 blocks in a 74–67 victory over Sweden.[39] In his final game at the event, he posted 24 points and 12 rebounds, shooting 4-of-9 from the three-point line, in a loss to Turkey.[40] As Croatia finished in fourth place, Šamanić averaged 17.7 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game, earning All-Star Five honors.[41] In 2017, he played at the FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship Division B in Tallinn, Estonia.[42] Šamanić led Croatia to a gold medal after recording 21 points, 8 rebounds, 4 steals, and 3 blocks in an overtime win over Great Britain.[43] He was named tournament MVP and made the All-Star Five after averaging 13.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game.[8] Šamanić took part in the 2018 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship in Latvia.[44] On 3 August 2018, he notched 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 blocks, shooting 5-of-5 from the three-point line, to help defeat Ukraine.[45] Even though Šamanić averaged 17 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game in the tournament, Croatia finished in 11th place.[23]

Personal life

Šamanić often takes advice from his father Marko Šamanić, a former professional basketball player, before and after games and tournaments.[44] He admires and emulates Toni Kukoč, a youth basketball star from Yugoslavia who saw great success in the NBA and European leagues.[44][46] Šamanić has also compared his playing style to NBA players Kristaps Porziņģis and Kevin Durant.[47] Off of the basketball court, he likes to play football and table tennis.[44]

References

  1. ↑ Beer, Tommy (12 September 2018). "An Early 2019 NBA Mock Draft: Duke's Barrett And Reddish On Track To Go 1-2". Forbes. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  2. ↑ Givony, Jonathan (9 August 2018). "NBA draft scouting: 10 international prospects for 2019 and beyond". ESPN. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  3. ↑ Gaibotti, Federico (22 January 2018). "Luka Samanic, scouting report about the rising Croatian prospect". BasketUniverso. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  4. 1 2 Hein, David (10 January 2018). "Development is priority for Barcelona talent Samanic". Adidas Next Generation Tournament. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 "Globe-trotter, late starter Samanic out to follow in stars' footsteps". FIBA. 11 August 2016. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  6. 1 2 3 Givony, Jonathan; Schmitz, Mike (11 June 2016). "2016 Adidas EuroCamp: Day Two". DraftExpress. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  7. 1 2 Hein, David (18 August 2016). "Talented trio Pecarski, Garuba, Samanic leading the way at U16 Euros". FIBA. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  8. 1 2 "Defensive ace Luka Samanic voted MVP, headlines All-Star Five team". FIBA. 6 August 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  9. ↑ "Kadeti ponovo susped!" (in Croatian). KK Zagreb. 22 November 2014. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  10. ↑ "Kadeti postigli 160 koševa u novoj pobjedi!" (in Croatian). KK Zagreb. 16 November 2015. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  11. ↑ "Kadeti prvi u Italiji, Luka Šamanić MVP!" (in Croatian). KK Zagreb. 3 January 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  12. ↑ "Nova pobjeda kadeta" (in Croatian). KK Zagreb. 16 January 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  13. ↑ "Kadeti uvjerljivi protiv Cedevite" (in Croatian). KK Zagreb. 25 January 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  14. ↑ "Kadeti protiv Siska slavili sa 110 razlike" (in Croatian). KK Zagreb. 22 February 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  15. ↑ "Kadeti Zagreba prvaci Hrvatske!" (in Croatian). KK Zagreb. 29 May 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  16. ↑ "adidas Eurocamp Announces 2016 Player Roster". Adidas. 8 June 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  17. ↑ "Luka Samanic, al Barça: croata de 15 años y 2.08 m. Así juega la sensación en Treviso" (in Spanish). Gigantes del Basket. 14 June 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  18. ↑ "El Barça Lassa B ya trabaja en la Ciutat Esportiva" (in Spanish). FC Barcelona. 17 August 2016. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  19. ↑ "Así se llevó Luka Samanic el concurso de mates del Torneo Junior Tenerife" (in Spanish). Liga ACB. 22 December 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  20. ↑ "L' Hospitalitet champions: Barca far the best, few interesting names emerged". DoubleDouble. 9 January 2017. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  21. 1 2 "ANGT MVP Fevrier of Paris headlines All-Tournament Team". Adidas Next Generation Tournament. 21 May 2017. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  22. ↑ "Jan 6, 2017: Union Olimpija Junior Team 56, FC Barcelona Regal Junior Team 79". RealGM. 6 January 2017. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  23. 1 2 3 4 5 "Luka Samanic Player Profile". RealGM. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  24. ↑ "Three days of non-stop activities at the FanZone in Marmara Forum!". EuroLeague. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  25. ↑ Fernández, Marcos (21 May 2017). "El blaugrana Samanic, campeón del concurso de mates del Adidas Next Generation" (in Spanish). Gigantes del Basket. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  26. ↑ Daniels, Evan (2 August 2017). "FIBA u18: College an option for Luka Samanic". 247Sports. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  27. ↑ Stankovic, Vladimir (8 January 2018). "Los 10 cracks del Torneo de L'Hospitalet". Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  28. ↑ "Barcelona's Samanic named ANGT L'Hospitalet MVP". Euroleague Basketball Next Generation Tournament. 7 January 2018. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  29. ↑ "Luka Samanic Game Logs". RealGM. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  30. ↑ "Oct 1, 2017: Actel Forca Lleida 69, FC Barcelona II 76". RealGM. 1 October 2017. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  31. ↑ Fernández, Marcos (7 October 2017). "El blaugrana Luka Samanic da espectáculo en LEB: matazo 'molinillo' ante Cáceres" (in Spanish). Gigantes del Basket. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  32. ↑ "Nov 4, 2017: FC Barcelona II 68, Saenz Horeca Araberri". RealGM. 4 November 2017. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  33. ↑ Fernández, Marcos (20 November 2017). "Competiciones FEB en clave Junior (8). Mira los Sub-20 más destacados de la semana" (in Spanish). Gigantes del Basket. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  34. ↑ "Feb 9, 2018: FC Barcelona II 64, Quesos Cerrato de Palencia 62". RealGM. 9 February 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  35. ↑ Givony, Jonathan (8 February 2018). "Basketball Without Borders: Camp preview and full roster reveal". ESPN. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  36. ↑ "Luka Šamanić prva okrepitev po koncu sezone" (in Slovenian). KK Olimpija. 31 May 2018. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  37. ↑ "Šamanić napustio Barcelonu" (in Croatian). Basketball.hr. 22 May 2018. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  38. ↑ "CZV - OLI". ABA League. 21 September 2018. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  39. ↑ "Aug 16, 2016: Sweden 67, Croatia 74". RealGM. 16 August 2016. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  40. ↑ "Aug 20, 2016: Croatia 70, Turkey 77". RealGM. 20 August 2016. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  41. ↑ "Usman Garuba claims MVP award to lead All-Star Five". FIBA. 21 August 2016. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  42. ↑ "Players to Watch at the FIBA U18 European Championship 2017 Division B". heinnews. 28 July 2017. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  43. ↑ "Croatia take home gold after overtime drama, Estonia finish on the podium". FIBA. 6 August 2017. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  44. 1 2 3 4 "Amid lofty expectations, Samanic has high hopes for Croatia". FIBA. 31 July 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  45. ↑ "Aug 3, 2018: Ukraine 62, Croatia 85". RealGM. 3 August 2018. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  46. ↑ Smith, Sam (27 December 2017). "Toni Kukoc Always Delivered". Chicago Bulls. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  47. ↑ Radičević, Vlado (9 January 2018). "Hrvatski tinejdžer potpuno zaludio NBA skaute; ovako nešto dugo nije viđeno!" (in Croatian). tportal. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
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