Danilo Gallinari retirement news: Italian player announces emotional good bye after remarkable 20-year basketball journey

Former NBA great and long-time member of the Italian national team, Danilo Gallinari, has retired from basketball at the age of 37, according to Shams Charania of ESPN. Gallinari played for a number of clubs over his 16-year NBA career, starting with the New York Knicks, who took him sixth overall in the 2008 draft. He missed two seasons due to ruptured ACLs.His most recent team was the Puerto Rican Vaqueros de Bayamon, where he not only secured the first title of his professional career but also received the Finals MVP accolade. He was recognized primarily for his stint with the Knicks, where he was the youthful-looking player involved with their rebuilding effort just before the 2010 free agency class.A long-time National Basketball Association forward, Danilo Gallinari, recently announced his retirement from playing basketball. Announcing the same, Shams Charania wrote on X:“Danilo Gallinari has retired from basketball after 20 professional seasons, including 16 in the NBA. The No. 6 pick in the 2008 draft out of Italy played 777 career NBA regular season games…”Over the course of his 16-year NBA career, the No. 6 choice in the 2008 draft participated in 777 regular-season games. His most notable six-year tenure was with the Denver Nuggets, when he averaged 19.5 points and 5.3 rebounds per game in 2015-16. Meanwhile, Gallinari himself announced the news on X and wrote:“Today, with a heart full of gratitude, I am announcing my retirement from a career I’ve always dreamed of. A career built through hard work, sacrifice, victories, defeats, teammates who became brothers, guidance from my coaches, and, of course, family and friends that were with me every step of the way…”He further stated: “It’s been an incredible journey filled with countless memories that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. To those who believed in me, to all those who supported me, and to those who shared every moment with me – thank you, from the bottom of my heart. I’m beyond excited for the next chapter!”Gallinari was also on the rosters of the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Atlanta Hawks during his NBA career. With Vaqueros de Bayamon, he won the domestic league championship for the first time during his final season in Puerto Rico.He then played for the Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Washington Wizards, Detroit Pistons, and Milwaukee Bucks. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, he is one of 299 players to have participated in at least 14 NBA seasons.Additionally, former NBA player Vittorio Gallinari's son, Gallinari is the second-highest-drafted Italian player ever after ex-No. 1 pick Andrea Bargnani and his 11,607 points are the highest of any Italian player in NBA history.Also read: When did Derrick Rose retire? Chicago Bulls announce retirement of the NBA legend's No. 1 jersey to honor their former MVP