Danilo Gallinari
Encyclopedia
Danilo Gallinari is an Italian
professional basketball
player with Olimpia Milano
of the Italian basketball league
. He is also under contract with the Denver Nuggets
of the NBA, and is expected to return to that team when the 2011 NBA lockout
ends. He is 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in) in height and 102.1 kg (225 lbs) in weight. Danilo mainly plays at the small forward
position. His nickname is "Gallo" which is Italian for "Rooster
."
, played professional basketball with Olimpia Milano
(along with future head coach Mike D'antoni) , Pallacanestro Pavia
, Virtus Bologna
, and Scaligera Basket Verona
in the Italian league
.
Danilo Gallinari began playing professionally in 2004 for Casalpusterlengo, a team in Serie B1 (third level in Italy).
In 2005, Gallinari was acquired by Armani Jeans Milano
, which then sent him to Edimes Pavia
, a team competing in the Italian league second division
championship during the 2005–2006 season, so that he could earn more experience with extended playing minutes. Even though he played only half of the season due to an injury, in 2006 he was nominated as the best Italian player of the Italian league second division championship, averaging 14.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.0 steals, and 0.8 assists in 17 games.
In 2006, he was recalled by Olimpia Milano
to play in the 2006–2007 Italian league first division
championship and also in the second level tier European wide cup competition, the ULEB Cup
. In his first season in the top Italian division, Gallinari was named as the league's best player under the of age 22, averaging 10.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 1.0 assists per game in 34 regular season games and 11.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.1 steals, and 0.9 assists per game in 8 playoff games. During the season he also won the 2007 Italian All Star Game 3-point shootout contest.
He spent his last season with Milano in the top Italian league, finishing first in the league's overall efficiency ratings. During the 2007–2008 season, he averaged 17.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.0 steals, and 1.3 assists per game in 33 regular season games and 18.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.5 assists per game in 8 playoff games.
In the 2007–2008 season, he also played for the first time in the elite Europe-wide Euroleague
competition, which is the first tier level continental cup competition of Europe. In the Euroleague he averaged 14.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.5 steals per game in 11 games; he posted a season-high 27 points against Maccabi Tel Aviv
in his final game. He made an instant impact on basketball courts around the continent and he was subsequently named the Euroleague 2007-08
season's Rising Star
award winner.
had an escape clause
for playing professionally in the United States, effectively eliminating major encumbrances that would have prevented him from joining the NBA. On April 23, 2008, he decided to declare himself eligible for the 2008 NBA Draft
. Gallinari signed an endorsement deal with Reebok
before being drafted into the NBA. He has his own sneaker, made by Reebok, called "The Rooster."
Gallinari was drafted 6th overall in the 2008 draft by the New York Knicks
. He then signed a two-year contract with the team.
In his first NBA Summer League
game, Gallinari showed off his ball handling skills by executing a "Shammgod
" dribble move in order to beat his defender to the basket and draw a foul.
, shooting 4–5 on three-point field goal attempts.
With the Knicks freeing up roster space for Gallinari with the trade of Quentin Richardson
, and with Al Harrington
being relegated to the bench, head coach Mike D'Antoni
named Gallinari a starter two games into the 2009 NBA season. On October 31, 2009, the third game of the 2009 season, Gallinari scored a career-high 30 points and made eight three-pointers in an overtime loss to the Philadelphia 76ers
, one short of tying a Knicks franchise record held by Latrell Sprewell
and John Starks
. Gallinari set a new career high on April 6, 2010, with 31 points in a 104-101 win over the Boston Celtics.
in a three-way blockbuster deal, which also involved the Minnesota Timberwolves
, that brought Carmelo Anthony
and Chauncey Billups
to New York. In just his second game with the Nuggets, he almost matched his career high with a 30-point effort in an overtime loss against the Portland Trail Blazers
.
he returned to Italy
to play for Emporio Armani Milan
.
and he won the bronze medal at the 2005 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship
. He was also selected as a member of the senior men's Italian national basketball team
for the 2007 European Championship
, but he was forced to withdraw due to an injury that he suffered during the preparation before the tournament.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player with Olimpia Milano
Olimpia Milano
Olimpia Milano is a Lega Basket Italian professional basketball team, based in Milan, Italy, founded in 1936 by Milan businessman Adolfo Bogoncelli. Its colors are red and white, and the team is sometimes referred as "Scarpette Rosse" because team officials imported from the United States red...
of the Italian basketball league
Serie A (basketball)
Lega Basket Serie A is the highest level club competition in Italian professional basketball where play determines the national champion. The season consists of a home-and-away schedule of 30 games, followed by an eight-team playoff round. Quarterfinals and semifinals series are best-of-five, and...
. He is also under contract with the Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
of the NBA, and is expected to return to that team when the 2011 NBA lockout
2011 NBA lockout
The 2011 NBA lockout is the fourth lockout in the history of the National Basketball Association . The owners began the work stoppage at 12:01 am EDT on July 1, 2011. The main issues dividing the owners and the players are revenue sharing and the structure of the salary cap...
ends. He is 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in) in height and 102.1 kg (225 lbs) in weight. Danilo mainly plays at the small forward
Small forward
The small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall...
position. His nickname is "Gallo" which is Italian for "Rooster
Rooster
A rooster, also known as a cockerel, cock or chanticleer, is a male chicken with the female being called a hen. Immature male chickens of less than a year's age are called cockerels...
."
Italy
Gallinari's father, Vittorio GallinariVittorio Gallinari
Vittorio Gallinari is an Italian former basketball player and current sports agent. He is the father of Danilo Gallinari, who plays for the Denver Nuggets in the NBA....
, played professional basketball with Olimpia Milano
Olimpia Milano
Olimpia Milano is a Lega Basket Italian professional basketball team, based in Milan, Italy, founded in 1936 by Milan businessman Adolfo Bogoncelli. Its colors are red and white, and the team is sometimes referred as "Scarpette Rosse" because team officials imported from the United States red...
(along with future head coach Mike D'antoni) , Pallacanestro Pavia
Pallacanestro Pavia
Pallacanestro Pavia was an Italian professional basketball team from the town of Pavia.It was established in 1943 in and, in the past, due to sponsorship deals, has also been known as Necchi Pavia , Annabella Pavia and Fernet Branca Pavia . It has participated in Serie A in 1948-1958 and 1991-92,...
, Virtus Bologna
Virtus Bologna
-Notable players: Marco Bonamico 9 seasons: '75-'76, '77-'78, '80-'86, '88-'89 Carlo Caglieris 6 seasons: '75-'81 Pietro Generali 6 seasons: '75-'76, '78-'83 Gianni Bertolotti 5 seasons: '75-'80 Terry Driscoll 3 seasons: '75-'78 Eric Luc Leclerc 1 season: '75-'76 Luigi Serafini 2 seasons: '75-'77...
, and Scaligera Basket Verona
Scaligera Basket Verona
Scaligera Basket Verona is an Italian basketball club based in Verona, which currently competes in the second-level LegaDue.-History:The "Scaligera" was first formed in Verona in 1951 and in the nineties reached the Italian top league, where played 10 years gaining respect and trophies both in...
in the Italian league
Serie A (basketball)
Lega Basket Serie A is the highest level club competition in Italian professional basketball where play determines the national champion. The season consists of a home-and-away schedule of 30 games, followed by an eight-team playoff round. Quarterfinals and semifinals series are best-of-five, and...
.
Danilo Gallinari began playing professionally in 2004 for Casalpusterlengo, a team in Serie B1 (third level in Italy).
In 2005, Gallinari was acquired by Armani Jeans Milano
Olimpia Milano
Olimpia Milano is a Lega Basket Italian professional basketball team, based in Milan, Italy, founded in 1936 by Milan businessman Adolfo Bogoncelli. Its colors are red and white, and the team is sometimes referred as "Scarpette Rosse" because team officials imported from the United States red...
, which then sent him to Edimes Pavia
Nuova Pallacanestro Pavia
Nuova Pallacanestro Pavia is an Italian professional basketball team from the town of Pavia, also known for sponsorship reasons as Paul Mitchell Pavia....
, a team competing in the Italian league second division
LegADue
Legadue or Lega2 is the second-highest division of professional club basketball in Italy since 2001-2002 season...
championship during the 2005–2006 season, so that he could earn more experience with extended playing minutes. Even though he played only half of the season due to an injury, in 2006 he was nominated as the best Italian player of the Italian league second division championship, averaging 14.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.0 steals, and 0.8 assists in 17 games.
In 2006, he was recalled by Olimpia Milano
Olimpia Milano
Olimpia Milano is a Lega Basket Italian professional basketball team, based in Milan, Italy, founded in 1936 by Milan businessman Adolfo Bogoncelli. Its colors are red and white, and the team is sometimes referred as "Scarpette Rosse" because team officials imported from the United States red...
to play in the 2006–2007 Italian league first division
Serie A (basketball)
Lega Basket Serie A is the highest level club competition in Italian professional basketball where play determines the national champion. The season consists of a home-and-away schedule of 30 games, followed by an eight-team playoff round. Quarterfinals and semifinals series are best-of-five, and...
championship and also in the second level tier European wide cup competition, the ULEB Cup
ULEB Cup
Eurocup Basketball is the second-tier level transnational professional basketball competition in Europe. The Eurocup is the level that is one tier below the Turkish Airlines Euroleague level...
. In his first season in the top Italian division, Gallinari was named as the league's best player under the of age 22, averaging 10.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 1.0 assists per game in 34 regular season games and 11.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.1 steals, and 0.9 assists per game in 8 playoff games. During the season he also won the 2007 Italian All Star Game 3-point shootout contest.
He spent his last season with Milano in the top Italian league, finishing first in the league's overall efficiency ratings. During the 2007–2008 season, he averaged 17.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.0 steals, and 1.3 assists per game in 33 regular season games and 18.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.5 assists per game in 8 playoff games.
In the 2007–2008 season, he also played for the first time in the elite Europe-wide Euroleague
Euroleague
Euroleague Basketball, commonly known as the Euroleague, is the highest level tier and most important professional club basketball competition in Europe, with teams from up to 18 different countries, members of FIBA Europe. For sponsorship reasons, for five seasons starting with 2010–2011, it is...
competition, which is the first tier level continental cup competition of Europe. In the Euroleague he averaged 14.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.5 steals per game in 11 games; he posted a season-high 27 points against Maccabi Tel Aviv
Maccabi Tel Aviv (basketball)
Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv B.C. is a professional Israeli basketball club based in Tel Aviv. The team plays in three leagues: the Euroleague, the Israeli Basketball Super League, and the Adriatic League....
in his final game. He made an instant impact on basketball courts around the continent and he was subsequently named the Euroleague 2007-08
Euroleague 2007-08
The Euroleague is an international basketball club competition for elite clubs throughout Europe. The 2007–2008 season featured 24 competing teams. The Euroleague Regular Season drew was held on 30 June 2007 in the Jesolo, Italy, during the inaugural Euroleague summer league...
season's Rising Star
Euroleague Rising Star
The Euroleague Rising Star is the annual award for the Euroleague's best player, aged 22 and under, throughout the Euroleague season, up until the Euroleague Final Four stage of the season...
award winner.
NBA career
His contract with Olimpia MilanoOlimpia Milano
Olimpia Milano is a Lega Basket Italian professional basketball team, based in Milan, Italy, founded in 1936 by Milan businessman Adolfo Bogoncelli. Its colors are red and white, and the team is sometimes referred as "Scarpette Rosse" because team officials imported from the United States red...
had an escape clause
Escape clause
An escape clause is any clause, term or condition in a contract that allows a party to that contract to avoid having to perform the contract....
for playing professionally in the United States, effectively eliminating major encumbrances that would have prevented him from joining the NBA. On April 23, 2008, he decided to declare himself eligible for the 2008 NBA Draft
2008 NBA Draft
The 2008 NBA Draft was held on June 26, 2008 at the Washington Mutual Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, including...
. Gallinari signed an endorsement deal with Reebok
Reebok
Reebok International Limited, a subsidiary of the German sportswear company Adidas since 2005, is a producer of Athletic shoes, apparel, and accessories. The name comes from the Afrikaans spelling of rhebok, a type of African antelope or gazelle...
before being drafted into the NBA. He has his own sneaker, made by Reebok, called "The Rooster."
Gallinari was drafted 6th overall in the 2008 draft by the New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
. He then signed a two-year contract with the team.
In his first NBA Summer League
NBA Summer League
The NBA Summer League is a period during which NBA teams come together to try out different summer rosters instead of their regular season line-ups. Typically, there is a mix of rookies and some of the younger bench players to see how well some players work with others...
game, Gallinari showed off his ball handling skills by executing a "Shammgod
God Shammgod
God Shammgod is an American professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association with the Washington Wizards during 1997-98 after being drafted by them in the 2nd round of the 1997 NBA Draft...
" dribble move in order to beat his defender to the basket and draw a foul.
2008-09 season
Just one game into the 08–09 season it was announced Gallinari would most likely miss most of the remainder of the season due to back problems. Despite his back problems, he came back into play on 17 January, during a game the Knicks lost to Philadelphia. On 4 March, Gallinari scored a season-high 17 points against the Atlanta HawksAtlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
, shooting 4–5 on three-point field goal attempts.
2009-10 season
On October 23, 2009, the Knicks picked up Gallinari's contract option.With the Knicks freeing up roster space for Gallinari with the trade of Quentin Richardson
Quentin Richardson
Quentin Richardson is an American professional basketball player who plays for the National Basketball Association's Orlando Magic...
, and with Al Harrington
Al Harrington
Albert "Al" Harrington is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the NBA's Denver Nuggets...
being relegated to the bench, head coach Mike D'Antoni
Mike D'Antoni
Michael Andrew "Mike" D'Antoni is an Italian-American former basketball player and is currently the head coach of the NBA's New York Knicks. While head coach of the Phoenix Suns, he won NBA Coach of the Year honors for the 2004–05 NBA season after the Suns posted 33 more wins than the previous...
named Gallinari a starter two games into the 2009 NBA season. On October 31, 2009, the third game of the 2009 season, Gallinari scored a career-high 30 points and made eight three-pointers in an overtime loss to the Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
, one short of tying a Knicks franchise record held by Latrell Sprewell
Latrell Sprewell
Latrell Fontaine Sprewell is a former American professional basketball player. During his time as a professional, Sprewell was named to the NBA All-Star game during four seasons, and played for the Golden State Warriors, the New York Knicks, and the Minnesota Timberwolves...
and John Starks
John Starks (basketball)
John Levell Starks is a former American professional basketball shooting guard. Starks was listed at 6'5" and 190 pounds during his NBA playing career...
. Gallinari set a new career high on April 6, 2010, with 31 points in a 104-101 win over the Boston Celtics.
2010-11 season
On February 22, 2011, Gallinari was traded to the Denver NuggetsDenver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
in a three-way blockbuster deal, which also involved the Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor...
, that brought Carmelo Anthony
Carmelo Anthony
Carmelo Kiyan Anthony , nicknamed "Melo", is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the New York Knicks in the National Basketball Association...
and Chauncey Billups
Chauncey Billups
Chauncey Ray Billups is an American professional basketball point guard for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association . He has also played for Team USA. Billups won the NBA Finals MVP in 2004, helping the Detroit Pistons beat the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals, and was given the...
to New York. In just his second game with the Nuggets, he almost matched his career high with a 30-point effort in an overtime loss against the Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
.
2011 NBA lockout
During the 2011 NBA lockout2011 NBA lockout
The 2011 NBA lockout is the fourth lockout in the history of the National Basketball Association . The owners began the work stoppage at 12:01 am EDT on July 1, 2011. The main issues dividing the owners and the players are revenue sharing and the structure of the salary cap...
he returned to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
to play for Emporio Armani Milan
Olimpia Milano
Olimpia Milano is a Lega Basket Italian professional basketball team, based in Milan, Italy, founded in 1936 by Milan businessman Adolfo Bogoncelli. Its colors are red and white, and the team is sometimes referred as "Scarpette Rosse" because team officials imported from the United States red...
.
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG | 3PT | FT | ORPG | DRPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008–09 2008–09 NBA season The 2008–09 NBA season was the 63rd season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 28, 2008, and ended on Wednesday, April 15, 2009... |
New York New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association... |
28 | 2 | 14.7 | .448 | .444 | .963 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 6.1 |
| 2009–10 2009–10 NBA season The 2009–10 NBA season was the 64th season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 27, 2009, and ended on Wednesday, April 14, 2010.... |
New York New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association... |
81 | 74 | 33.9 | .423 | .381 | .818 | 0.8 | 4.1 | 4.9 | 1.7 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 15.1 |
| 2010–11 | New York New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association... |
48 | 48 | 34.8 | .415 | .347 | .893 | 1.0 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 15.9 |
| 2010–11 | Denver Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams... |
14 | 12 | 30.9 | .412 | .370 | .772 | 0.8 | 4.6 | 5.4 | 1.6 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 14.7 |
| Career | 171 | 136 | 30.8 | .421 | .376 | .847 | 0.8 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 13.8 |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG | 3PT | FT | ORPG | DRPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010–11 2010–11 NBA season The 2010–11 NBA season was the 65th season of the National Basketball Association . The 2011 NBA All-Star Game was played on February 20, 2011 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat in six games, 4 games to 2, to win their first NBA title, and... |
Denver Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams... |
5 | 5 | 29.6 | .432 | .467 | .714 | 0.2 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 2.0 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 12.0 |
| Career | 5 | 5 | 29.6 | .432 | .467 | .714 | 0.2 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 2.0 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 12.0 |
Italian national team
Gallinari has been a member of the Under-16 and Under-18 junior men's Italian national basketball teams. He played at the 2004 FIBA Europe Under-16 ChampionshipFIBA Europe Under-16 Championship
FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship, previously known as European Championship for Cadets, is a basketball competition inaugurated in 1971. Until 2003 it was held every second year, but from 2003 onwards it is held every year. The current champions are Croatia.-Results:-Performances by nation:-MVP...
and he won the bronze medal at the 2005 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship
FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship
FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship was inaugurated in 1964 and for the following 40 years it had been held biannually. From 2004 onwards, it is held every year.-Summaries:-Performances by nation:...
. He was also selected as a member of the senior men's Italian national basketball team
Italy national basketball team
The Italian national basketball team is the national basketball team representing Italy. It is administrated by the Federazione Italiana Pallacanestro ....
for the 2007 European Championship
Eurobasket 2007
-Group B:-Group C:-Group D:-Second round:- Group E :- Group F :-Championship bracket:- Quarterfinals :-Classification rounds:- Semifinals :- Third place game:- Final :...
, but he was forced to withdraw due to an injury that he suffered during the preparation before the tournament.