Danilo Gallinari Announces Retirement After 16 NBA Seasons

NEW YORK, NY — Longtime NBA forward Danilo Gallinari announced his retirement from basketball on Tuesday. The 37-year-old Gallinari played 16 seasons in the NBA and was a sixth overall pick in the 2008 draft by the New York Knicks.

Gallinari shared his announcement via social media, expressing gratitude for his career. “Today, with a heart full of gratitude, I am announcing my retirement from a career I’ve always dreamed of,” he wrote. “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.”

Over his career, Gallinari suited up for nine NBA teams, including the Knicks, Denver Nuggets, and most recently, the Milwaukee Bucks. He played a total of 777 games, averaging 14.9 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.

Gallinari is recognized as the second-highest drafted Italian player in NBA history, following Andrea Bargnani. He is also the highest-scoring Italian player in NBA history with 11,607 points.

His career included significant milestones, including a crucial role in the trade that brought Carmelo Anthony to New York in 2011. He spent six seasons with the Nuggets and had stints with the Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Atlanta Hawks, and briefly with the Boston Celtics.

In the 2023-24 season, Gallinari played with the Bucks but appeared in only 17 games due to limited playing time. He later signed with the Vaqueros de Bayamón in Puerto Rico, where he helped lead the team to a championship and was named Finals MVP.

Despite injuries that sidelined him for various seasons, including full seasons due to torn ACLs, Gallinari leaves behind a remarkable legacy in basketball, cherished by fans and fellow players alike.

His last game in the NBA took place during the Bucks’ first-round playoff loss in 2024.