Denver Nuggets star Danilo Gallinari signs for an Italian team – NBA Update
Denver Nuggets Italian forward Danilo Gallinari has signed a contract with a basketball club in his home country for the entire next season. Olimpia Milano is the team which secured Gallinari’s signature and the forward will now
spend next season in Italy.
Gallinari actually played for Milano before going to the NBA and therefore it is like a second home coming for the star. He was already in Europe as part of the Italian Men’s National Basketball team that participated in the EuroBasket
tournament.
Gallinari was very happy at having agreed the contract and thanked the team for trusting him,
"I'm happy for the opportunity that Olimpia offered me to get back on the court with the team that I had some unforgettable experiences with," Gallinari said. "I hope to give the Milan fans more to cheer about and give them back
in return the affection they showed by following me once I reached the NBA."
Gallinari went to the NBA from Italy back in 2008 and was drafted by the New York Knicks. The talented forward played for the Knicks until this year when he was traded to the Denver Nuggets in a blockbuster trade, the Knicks used
to acquire super star Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups.
Gallinari has continued to impress at the Nuggets and was set to blossom further next season until the NBA lockout jeopardized the situation. The lockout that began on July 1st means that there are no guarantees of an
NBA season for 2011-2012 and that is the reason why many NBA players are opting for foreign contracts.
If the NBA season is somehow saved, Gallinari has a contract in his clause that will allow him to return to the United States and join the Nuggets. Most big European club sides have refrained for signing NBA players for this very
reason, as they could cause a disruption in the squad, but Milano were happy to make an exception in Danilo’s case.
"The only player for which we would have even considered making an exception to the rule of not hiring 'part-time' players was Danilo Gallinari," Olimpia Milano’s new head coach Sergio Scariolo, who guided Spain to European Championship
glory this Sunday in Lithuania said. "We're confident to get from him, even for only a brief time, the effort and dedication needed to become part of the team."
Gallinari follows a whole host of other Denver Nuggets players who have signed for teams outside the NBA during the lockout. Wilson Chandler and J.R. Smith, both free agents, signed contracts with Chinese teams earlier while Ty
Lawson is set to play in Lithuania next season.
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