Former Boston Celtics forward Danilo Gallinari announced his retirement from professional basketball on Tuesday morning. The Italian forward played 20 seasons as a pro, 16 of which were in the NBA.
“Today, with a heart full of gratitude, I am announcing my retirement from the career I’ve always dreamed of,” Gallinari wrote in a post to X. “It’s been an incredible journey filled with countless memories that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.”
Gallinari’s basketball journey brought him to Boston in the summer of 2022, when he signed a multi-year deal with the Celtics. Unfortunately, he never took the court for the Cs. Shortly after inking the deal, Gallinari tore his ACL while representing Italy in a FIBA World Cup qualifying game.
Danilo Gallinari was still a Celtics bench icon
The injury kept him sidelined for the entire 2022-23 season, but he still became somewhat of a fan favorite in Boston. Gallinari dominated the fashion game, showcasing his incredible wardrobe from the Celtics bench just about every night.
Former #Thunder sharpshooter Danilo Gallinari looking clean on the Celtics bench. pic.twitter.com/NMzwllJ7r1
— Cliff Brunt (@CliffBruntAP) January 4, 2023
There is a need for the right dress for big occasions. What a dominant victory by the boys ✌🏻🍀#CelticsWin pic.twitter.com/ucup65ZBZJ
— DANILO GALLINARI (@gallinari8888) March 31, 2023
Gallinari’s time as a Celtic came to an end in June of 2023, when he was dealt to the Washington Wizards in the three-team trade that landed Kristaps Porzingis in Boston.
Washington later traded him to the Detroit Pistons, who waived him after a month. Gallinari signed his final NBA contract with the Milwaukee Bucks in February of 2024.
Danilo Gallinari was a hooper before getting to Boston
His first NBA deal came with the New York Knicks, after they picked him sixth overall in the 2008 NBA Draft. Gallinari spent three seasons in New York before he was traded to the Denver Nuggets as part of the Carmelo Anthony trade in 2011.
The majority of his time in the NBA was spent in Denver, where he played six seasons for the Nuggets. Gallinari appeared in 303 games for Denver and averaged 16.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game on 41.9% from the field and 36.6% from beyond the arc.
In 2017, Gallinari joined the Los Angeles Clippers in a sign-and-trade deal. From that point on, he bounced from team to team, playing for the Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Atlanta Hawks, before eventually signing with the Cs.
Though the Italian forward was never named to an All-Star team in the NBA, he put together an incredible career in the league before it was the norm. Now, European players like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, and Luka Doncic are some of the faces of the league. Gallinari paved the way for those guys and other European-born players to succeed in the league.