Luka Šamanić is a Croatian professional basketball player for the Utah Jazz in the National Basketball Association. He has also played for the San Antonio Spurs and in the NBA G League. In 2023, he was named to the All-NBA G League Second Team.
Player Profile and Personal Life
Luka Šamanić was born on January 9, 2000, in Zagreb, Croatia. He stands 208 cm tall and his weight is listed at 102 kg. Šamanić is a right-handed player and is a power forward.
Due to his father Marko’s professional basketball career, Šamanić lived in several countries in his early life, including Belgium, Slovenia, and Germany. He grew up playing various sports like football, handball, and tennis and only started playing basketball at age 11.
| Team |
Utah Jazz
|
| Position | Power Forward |
| Height / weight | 2.08 m / 102 kg |
| Born | 9 Jan 2000 |
| Nationality |
Croatia
|
| Playing Style | Right Handed |
| Team History | |
|
Utah
|
2023 - present |
| Maine Celtics | 2022 - 2023 |
| Westchester Knicks | 2021 - 2022 |
San Antonio
|
2019 - 2021 |
| Austin Spurs | 2019 - 2021 |
| Petrol Olimpija | 2018 - 2019 |
| FC Barcelona B | 2016 - 2018 |
Early Career
Šamanić began his youth career with a local club Zagreb in Croatia. In 2016, at age 16, he moved to Spain to join FC Barcelona’s reserve team in the Spanish second-tier league.
Šamanić has represented Croatia multiple times in FIBA events. He led his team to a gold medal at the FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship Division B in 2017.
Professional Career
Šamanić played for FC Barcelona B in the Spanish LEB Oro from 2017 to 2018. In 2018-19, he played for Petrol Olimpija in Slovenia.
Šamanić was selected 19th overall by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2019 NBA Draft. He played his first two NBA seasons with the Spurs from 2019 to 2021.
After being waived by the Spurs in 2021, Šamanić had stints in the NBA G League with the Westchester Knicks in 2021-22 and Maine Celtics in 2022-23. In 2023, he was named to the All-NBA G League Second Team.
In March 2023, Šamanić signed with the Utah Jazz. As for 2024, he still plays for the Jazz.
Career Highlights
- 2023 - All-NBA G League Second Team
- 2017 - FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship B MVP
Medal Record
- 2017 - Gold medal, FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship Division B (Estonia), Representing Croatia
