Just three weeks ago, it seemed that Croatian big man Luka Šamanič’s stint in Saint Petersburg was over. A conflict with head coach Dejan Radonjić and speculation about a contract termination threatened to end his season prematurely. But the player returned, delivering his best performance yet in the VTB United League. The tension reached a peak on April 20, after a 86‑69 loss to UNICS, when reports emerged that Zenit planned to part ways with Šamanič. The reason: a heated exchange with the coach during the game. The Croatian played just 1 minute and 45 seconds early in the second half before being benched for the remainder of the match.
Although Zenit’s general director, Alexander Tserkovny, publicly denied the conflict, Šamanič still missed the first game of the playoff series against Uralmash. Saint Petersburg lost that game, and the absence of one of their key big men, amid loud insider talk, stood out. Regardless, the sides “cleared up the misunderstanding,” and Luka returned to the lineup. In the first games after the pause, his stats were hardly impressive: two points in the second and third matches of the Uralmash series, and eight in the fourth. Still, his presence was felt. As Xavier Moon and Andre Roberson noted after winning the series, Šamanič’s return not only added power to the front line but also united the team at a critical moment.
The real explosion came in the first game of the semifinal series against UNICS. While Zenit’s leaders – Moon and Trent Frazier – were tightly guarded, Šamanič became the option the Kazan defense had no answer for. Coming off the bench, he delivered instantly: eight points in seven minutes in the second quarter, then another seven in a short stretch of the final period. Along with Georgy Zhbanov, the Croatian was the best player for Zenit on the floor. By the end of the match, Šamanič set a personal scoring record in the VTB United League, putting up 28 points (9/13 from the field), six rebounds, and an efficiency rating of 33. While an offensive outburst might have been expected, his work on the defensive end truly stood out. Usually considered an average defender, this time the Zenit import was fighting for every ball, displaying extreme hustle.
It is worth recalling that when Šamanič first joined Zenit, he breathed new life into the team’s frontcourt. Amid Alex Poythress’s injury, when only Andrey Martyuk remained as a consistent rotation option, the Croatian was a savior. A classic stretch big with a good shot, he fit naturally into the blue‑white‑blue schemes. However, he flopped badly at the end of the regular season, missing easy shots and looking unconvincing. Fortunately for Zenit, the big man stepped up just when it mattered most. After sitting out the first playoff game against Uralmash, he returned for game two. In that series, he averaged less than 17 minutes per game. Against UNICS in the first meeting, he logged 23 minutes and finally showed the confidence and class that made him a first‑round NBA draft pick. Despite Šamanič’s record, Zenit lost a tight overtime battle (104‑107 OT). Still, the return of the big man to his best form gives fans reason for optimism: Dejan Radonjić now has a weapon capable of breaking even the tightest opponent defense in this series.