Veteran forward Danilo Gallinari, the No. 6 pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, announced his retirement on December 2, 2025, via social media. The 37-year-old Italian ends his career as the highest-scoring player from Italy in NBA history with 11,607 points. Gallinari played for eight NBA teams over 14 seasons, known for his 3-point shooting as a 6-foot-10 forward.
Danilo Gallinari, selected sixth overall by the New York Knicks in 2008 after four professional seasons in Italy, retired Tuesday at age 37. In a social media post accompanied by a video message in Italian, he reflected on his journey: "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." The video elaborated on basketball's role in his life, calling it a dream, refuge, and teacher.
Gallinari's NBA career spanned 14 seasons across eight teams: Knicks, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Atlanta Hawks, Washington Wizards, Detroit Pistons, and Milwaukee Bucks. He signed with the Boston Celtics in 2022 but never played due to a torn ACL, marking the second such injury after missing the entire 2013-14 season. His rookie year was limited by back injuries, but he broke out with 15.1 points per game in 2009-10.
Key trades defined his path, including the 2011 deal sending him to Denver for Carmelo Anthony and the 2019 blockbuster moving him to Oklahoma City with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for Paul George. In Denver, he averaged 16.2 points in the 2012-13 season on a 57-win team, and later hit career highs of 19.5 points in 2015-16 with the Nuggets and 19.8 in 2018-19 with the Clippers. He scored a personal-best 47 points on April 10, 2015, in a double-overtime loss to the Dallas Mavericks.
Gallinari finishes with career averages of 14.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 777 regular-season games, shooting 42.8% from the field and 38.1% from 3-point range on 4.9 attempts per game. In 51 playoff games, he averaged 13.2 points and 4.5 rebounds. From 2009-10 to 2019-20, he made 1,179 3-pointers, third-most among players 6-foot-10 or taller behind Kevin Durant and Kevin Love; overall, his 1,456 threes rank sixth in that group.
After his last NBA stint with the Wizards, Pistons, and Bucks in 2023-24, Gallinari played for Vaqueros de Bayamón in Puerto Rico's Baloncesto Superior Nacional, winning the league title and Finals MVP. He also represented Italy in this year's FIBA EuroBasket. Nicknamed "Gallo" (Italian for rooster) and the "Italian Stallion," Gallinari pioneered stretch-big play in the NBA's space-and-pace era. Teams like the Knicks, Nuggets, Hawks, and Celtics shared congratulations on social media.
