It was all but a foregone conclusion at this point, but on Tuesday morning, Danilo Gallinari made it official and announced his retirement from basketball. Gallo was the centerpiece of the return in Denver’s trade for Carmelo Anthony and became a star and a leader of the team, helping them build back up in the post-Melo era.
Gallinari was drafted 6th overall in 2008 by the Knicks, expected to be the next big superstar out of Europe, but the young Italian failed to live up to the hype in New York. When Melo made it clear he wanted to come be the savior of the Big Apple, the Knicks were more than happy to oblige and sent back a package that included Gallinari.
He spent the better part of six seasons in Denver, averaging over 16 points per game and helping the team reach the playoffs on multiple occasions. It was a dark time for Nuggets basketball after Melo and Billups left town, but Danilo was a big part of restoring the vibes and turning things around.
In a way, he helped pave the way for the next era and ushered in Nikola Jokic on his way out the door.
Gallinari never found perfect NBA landing spot
But after missing the playoffs for a stretch, the Nuggets traded Gallinari to the Clippers, where he spent a couple of solid seasons before being part of the infamous trade along with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and many draft picks going to the Thunder in exchange for Paul George.
But age and injuries caught up with Gallo, and he never found the right role on the right team. He bounced from the Thunder to the Hawks, then the Celtics, then the Wizards, then the Pistons, and finally the Bucks in 2024.
He finally found his peace after leaving the NBA, signing with Vaqueros de Bayamón in Puerto Rico, where he led the team to a championship, winning Finals MVP in what turned out to be his last professional basketball game.
So, after three years playing in Europe, 16 in the NBA, and one in Puerto Rico, Gallinari is sailing off into the sunset at age 37. He was a brilliant offensive player, but one who never quite reached his full potential, as much due to injuries as anything. Despite that, he was a great player and a great ambassador for the sport of basketball.