Danilo Gallinari

Danilo Gallinari (Italian pronunciation: [daˈniːlo ɡalliˈnaːri]; born 8 August 1988) is an Italian professional basketball player who last played for the Vaqueros de Bayamón of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). After spending his first four years as a professional in his native Italy, Gallinari was drafted sixth overall in the 2008 NBA draft by the New York Knicks. He played with the Knicks for two and a half seasons before being traded to the Denver Nuggets in 2011.

Over the course of 16 seasons in the NBA, Gallinari also played for the Los Angeles Clippers, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Atlanta Hawks, the Washington Wizards, and the Detroit Pistons.

Gallinari started 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, Gallinari was recalled by Olimpia Milano to play in the 2006–07 Serie A season and also in the ULEB Cup. In his first season in Serie A, Gallinari was named as the league's best player under the age of 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 2007–08 season, he played for the first time in the EuroLeague, where 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, and at the end of the season was named the EuroLeague's Rising Star.

Gallinari's contract with Olimpia Milano had an escape clause for playing professionally in the United States, effectively eliminating major encumbrances that would have prevented him from joining the National Basketball Association (NBA). On 23 April 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."