NEW YORK — Danilo Gallinari, a 16-year NBA veteran and one of Italy’s most accomplished basketball players, said Tuesday morning he is retiring from the game.
The 37-year-old forward entered the league as the No. 6 overall pick by the New York Knicks in the 2008 draft and went on to appear in 14 NBA seasons, missing two entire campaigns because of torn ACLs. Over his career he logged 11,607 points, the most ever by an Italian player, and became one of only 299 players to participate in at least 14 NBA seasons, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
Stops across the league
After debuting with the Knicks, Gallinari suited up for seven additional franchises: the Denver Nuggets, LA Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics (without playing a game), Washington Wizards, Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks. His final NBA appearance came in Game 6 of Milwaukee’s first-round playoff loss to the Indiana Pacers in 2024.
Signature moments
Gallinari gained early prominence in New York under head coach Mike D’Antoni — a former teammate and roommate of his father, Vittorio Gallinari, at Olimpia Milano in the 1970s and ’80s. He later anchored Denver’s 57-win team in 2012-13 before suffering an ACL tear late in that regular season.
Injuries were a recurring theme; he missed at least 10 games in all but one season, including the entire 2013-14 and 2022-23 campaigns because of knee injuries and most of his rookie year with a back issue. Still, the 6-foot-10 shooter built a reputation as an elite floor-spacer, sinking 1,456 three-pointers — sixth all time among players of his height or taller. While with the Hawks in February 2021, he became only the eighth player to hit at least 10 threes off the bench in a single game, helping Atlanta reach the Eastern Conference finals that season.
Closing chapter
Gallinari capped his professional career last summer by winning a Puerto Rican league championship and earning Finals MVP honors with Vaqueros de Bayamón. His retirement ends a journey that made him the second-highest Italian draft pick ever, trailing only 2006 No. 1 selection Andrea Bargnani.
Source: ESPN
