Veteran NBA forward Danilo Gallinari officially announced his retirement on Tuesday, December 2.
The 37-year-old took to his Instagram account to announce his decision and posted a touching video featuring memorable moments of his career, which is accompanied by a long and emotional caption.
Gallinari wrote, “Today, with a heart full of gratitude, I am announcing my retirement from the career I’ve always dreamed of. 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.”
He played 777 NBA games and throughout his career he averaged 14.9 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.
Gallinari is also known as the second-highest drafted Italian player in the NBA history after Andrea Bargnani.
He started his NBA career with New York Knicks where he played for two and a half seasons and later traded to the Denver Nuggets in 2011.
In addition to the Knicks and Nuggets, Gallinari also played for the Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Washington Wizards, Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks.
Gallinari's final NBA appearance was in Game 6 of the first-round playoff series between the Miwaukee Bucks and the Indiana Pacers in 2024 where he played three minutes and scored one point.
