Veteran sharpshooting forward Danilo Gallinari has officially announced his retirement from professional basketball. The 37-year-old Italian star shared a heartfelt message on social media on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, bringing an end to a remarkable 20-year professional career that included 16 seasons and 777 games in the National Basketball Association.
Known affectionately as “Gallo,” Gallinari was the No. 6 overall pick by the New York Knicks in the 2008 NBA Draft and went on to play for eight different NBA franchises, spending his most productive tenure with the Denver Nuggets. He retires as a premier floor-spacer, averaging 14.9 points and 4.7 rebounds per game while ranking highly on the NBA’s all-time list for three-pointers made.
In his retirement message, Gallinari expressed immense gratitude, stating his career was “a dream, a refuge, a constant challenge.” His journey was marked by resilience, including overcoming two torn ACL injuries. The final high point of his professional career came earlier this year when he won the BSN Championship and Finals MVP award while playing in Puerto Rico.
The Danilo Gallinari Retirement closes the book on one of Italy’s most successful basketball exports. His emotional farewell resonated across the league, with former teammates and franchises celebrating the career of a player who was a consistent source of scoring and professionalism throughout his long and impactful career.
