TITLE: Danilo Gallinari Ends 16-Year Career After Championship Run in Puerto Rico
SLUG: danilo-gallinari-retires-puerto-rico-finale
CONTENT:
Miami — Danilo Gallinari, the No. 6 pick in the 2008 NBA draft and a 16-year league veteran, announced Tuesday that he is retiring from professional basketball at age 37.
Final season unfolded in Puerto Rico
Unable to secure an NBA contract for 2024-25, the 6-foot-10 forward joined Vaqueros de Bayamón of Puerto Rico’s Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN) in February. Gallinari averaged roughly 35 minutes per game, guided Bayamón to its league-record 17th title and was voted Finals MVP.
Scuffle with DeMarcus Cousins
On June 9, during a regular-season meeting with Mets de Guaynabo, a courtside altercation erupted after Gallinari said he inadvertently poked DeMarcus Cousins in the eye while battling for a rebound. Cousins was eventually ejected and suspended for the rest of the BSN season; videos of the incident went viral.
Shark bite threatens off-court
Gallinari’s stint nearly turned tragic on July 31 when his wife, sports journalist Eleonora Boi—then six months pregnant—was bitten on the leg by a shark while the family relaxed at Isla Verde Beach in Carolina, Puerto Rico. She was treated at a local hospital, and both mother and unborn child recovered fully. Their third child was born “a few weeks ago,” according to the couple.
Path to Bayamón
After Milwaukee’s first-round playoff exit to Indiana in 2024, Gallinari hoped for a 17th NBA season in a locker-room mentor role. While waiting for interest, he kept in shape during Sunday runs at the University of Miami with former NBA guard Carlos Arroyo. Arroyo—now a part-owner of Bayamón—recruited Gallinari over several coffee meetings, pitching the BSN as a competitive, family-friendly option close to Miami.
The league has become a frequent stop for ex-NBA names; Gallinari’s 2025 teammates included JaVale McGee and Chris Duarte, while rivals featured Emmanuel Mudiay, Bryn Forbes, Hassan Whiteside and others.
Return to Italy’s national team
The BSN schedule allowed Gallinari to suit up for Italy at EuroBasket, where the Azzurri fell to Luka Dončić’s Slovenia in the round of 16 in September. That game became the final appearance of his playing career.
Long NBA résumé
Gallinari logged 14 official NBA seasons—two more were lost to ACL injuries—across stints with the Knicks, Nuggets, Clippers, Thunder, Hawks, Wizards, Pistons and Bucks. He scored more than $200 million in salary, reached the 2021 Eastern Conference finals with Atlanta and totaled 728 regular-season games. Coaches Doc Rivers and Mike D’Antoni both praised his perseverance through multiple knee surgeries.
Decision to retire
The Italian forward cited his growing family and the desire to remain active with his children as primary reasons for stepping away. “Can I play another season? Yes,” Gallinari said. “But now I’m 37, I have three kids, and I want to be able to play with them at a high intensity.”
Gallinari added that the emotional high of leading Bayamón to a championship restored the feelings he last experienced as a focal point of an NBA roster. “Puerto Rico gave me my feelings back,” he said.
Source: ESPN
