After 16 years in the NBA, Danilo Gallinari is officially hanging up his sneakers. The 6-foot-10 forward announced his retirement Tuesday, closing the book on a career that spanned continents, overcame injuries, and left a lasting mark-especially for Italian basketball.
Gallinari’s journey to the league began well before his name was called sixth overall in the 2008 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks. A product of Italy’s professional leagues, “Gallo” arrived in New York with a polished game and a reputation as one of the most skilled European prospects of his generation. Only Andrea Bargnani, selected first overall in 2006, was drafted higher among Italian players.
From the start, Gallinari had to battle. A back injury limited his rookie season, but once healthy, he showed why the Knicks had invested a top-10 pick in him. Over the next season and a half, he averaged 15.5 points per game, flashing the smooth shooting stroke and high basketball IQ that would define his career.
In 2011, Gallinari became a key piece in one of the most talked-about trades of the decade, heading to Denver in the blockbuster deal that brought Carmelo Anthony to New York. It was in Denver where Gallinari played his most extended stretch-five and a half seasons-and arguably his best basketball.
He was a core contributor on the 2012-13 Nuggets team that won 57 games and finished third in the Western Conference. That season, he averaged 16.2 points per game before an ACL tear ended his year just ahead of the playoffs.
Injuries were a recurring theme throughout Gallinari’s career. He lost two full seasons-2013-14 and 2022-23-to ACL tears, and played more than 70 games in a season only twice.
But when he was on the floor, he was a matchup nightmare. A true stretch forward before the term became trendy, Gallinari combined size, shooting, and savvy.
He knocked down 1,456 career three-pointers-sixth-most in NBA history among players 6-foot-10 or taller. Only Kevin Durant, Dirk Nowitzki, Rashard Lewis, Peja Stojaković, and Kevin Love hit more from that height.
Offensively, Gallinari was as consistent as they come. He averaged 14.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.9 assists over his career, shooting 38.1% from beyond the arc.
His best scoring season came in 2018-19 with the Clippers, when he averaged 19.8 points per game. A few years prior, in 2015-16 with Denver, he posted 19.5 points per game-another career high at the time.
And in one unforgettable night in April 2015, he exploded for a career-best 47 points in a double-overtime shootout against the Mavericks.
Gallinari’s NBA journey took him across the league. After Denver, he made stops with the Clippers, Thunder, Hawks, Celtics, Wizards, Pistons, and Bucks. While he never suited up for Boston due to injury, he did make a deep playoff run with Atlanta in 2021, helping the Hawks reach the Eastern Conference Finals in a reserve role.
He finished his NBA career with 11,607 points-the most ever by an Italian player.
Gallinari’s connection to his roots was always front and center. Nicknamed “Gallo,” Italian for rooster, he embraced his heritage with pride.
His Reebok player-edition shoes even featured a rooster logo on the heel. Another nickname, “The Italian Stallion,” followed him throughout his career-a nod to both his nationality and his rugged, resilient style of play.
Though he didn’t appear in the NBA this season, Gallinari wasn’t quite done with the game. This past summer, he suited up for Vaqueros de Bayamón in Puerto Rico’s Baloncesto Superior Nacional. There, he capped off his playing days with a championship and a Finals MVP performance-one last reminder of what he could do when healthy and in rhythm.
At 37, Gallinari steps away from the game with a career that, while interrupted by injuries, was defined by perseverance, skill, and professionalism. He was never the loudest player on the court, but his game spoke volumes. From Milan to Madison Square Garden, from Denver to Puerto Rico, Gallinari carved out a legacy as one of the most accomplished international forwards of his era.
“It’s been an incredible journey filled with countless memories that I will carry with me for the rest of my life,” Gallinari shared in his retirement message. And for fans who followed him over the years, the feeling is mutual.