By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
TRENTO, Italy – On August 27, 2022, Danilo Gallinari was playing with Italy in the 2023 FIBA World Cup European Qualifiers against Georgia, just a few days before the beginning of FIBA EuroBasket 2022, playing the group stage at home. However, everything changed on that day.
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Tearing his ACL only a few weeks after signing with the Boston Celtics, one of the best Italian players ever lost the opportunity to contend for a championship straight away alongside Jayson Tatum and his teammates. Later on, he moved to Washington, Detroit, and finally to Milwaukee.
After two years of absence from national team action, he came back to playing for Italy once again against the same red-and-white opponents. He ended up winning the first friendly game of the summer, being named MVP of the 2024 Trentino Basket Cup after scoring 13 points over 9/10 at the line.
“It’s always the same beautiful emotion”
Catching up with the media in the aftermath, he shared his emotions behind such a comeback. “It’s a special return for me, especially after what happened two years ago, against the same team. It’s beautiful to come back on the court with these guys”, he first stated.
“Playing next to these people it’s always a peculiar emotion. It seems like a cliché, but it’s always the same emotion as when I started with the national team at 17-18. Always the same beautiful emotions that everybody expects every summer to get back to it. Unfortunately, I had to wait two years, but it’s great”, Danilo Gallinari added, looking back at the two-year span away from this group.
Talking about the current status of the team, he’s optimistic. “We’re good. We don’t have a lot of time to work, but luckily this is a group that is already well-trained and well-known with each other. We know what Poze [Gianmarco Pozzecco] wants, and what we could do on the court. It’s a well-oiled squad”, the 35-year-old Italian forward addressed.
Danilo Gallianari will be one of Italy’s cornerstones in the official 12-man roster revealed by Gianmarco Pozzecco ahead of the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Puerto Rico, from July 2-7. Italy will face Bahrain and the hosts in Group B, while Lithuania, Mexico, and Ivory Coast will battle it out in Group A.
Che bello rivederti in Azzurro, Gallo 💙#Italbasket | @gallinari8888 pic.twitter.com/XOALNZGeUE
— Italbasket (@Italbasket) June 23, 2024
PHOTO CREDIT: Italbasket