A former New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets forward is claiming that he is the NBA’s biggest what-if story.
According to Danilo Gallinari, his injuries and setbacks during his time with the Knicks and the Nuggets at the start of his NBA career left him with massive regrets in his time in the league.
Gallinari announced his retirement from professional basketball on December 2, 2025 after being in the league for 16 years, two of which were spent recovering from injuries.
“I think about it just with friends and family when we sometimes talk about basketball and my career,” Gallinari said in his interview with HoopsHype’s Cyro Asseo. “We think about it, or when I come back to New York and I talk to my fans or people in New York that still work for the Knicks, we talk about it, but there is a lot of, unfortunately, because of my injuries, there is a lot of what-if in my career.”
“I don’t know, I’m probably the biggest what-if guy in the history of the game, maybe. But it’s part of an NBA career. It happened to me, unfortunately, more than any other athlete probably, as far as injuries, but I don’t think about it too much.”
Danilo Gallinari’s Knicks And Nuggets NBA Careers
Gallinari ended his career as the highest-scoring Italian player in NBA history, accumulating 11,607 points.
The 6-foot-10 forward first established himself in his native Italy, earning Italian League MVP and EuroLeague Rising Star honors with Olimpia Milano. He transitioned to North America when the New York Knicks drafted him sixth overall in the 2008 NBA Draft.
Though his rookie season was severely limited by back surgery and high expectations, Gallinari blossomed into a New York fan favorite during his sophomore year, averaging 15.1 points per game and shooting 38.1% from three-point range during the 2009-2010 season.
The Knicks packaged him alongside Raymond Felton, Timofey Mozgov, and draft assets in a blockbuster trade to acquire Carmelo Anthony from the Denver Nuggets
Known as a premier floor-spacing big man who was ahead of his time, Gallinari became a foundational centerpiece for the Denver Nuggets following the blockbuster Carmelo Anthony trade in 2011. He spent a career-high six and a half seasons in Denver.
Both the Knicks and the Nuggets have since won an NBA championship, ending their decades-long droughts. In 2023, the Nuggets won the title led by Nikola Jokic, while the Knicks won in 2026 led by Jalen Brunson.
How Danilo Gallinari Ended His NBA Career
His final full NBA campaign took place during the 2023-2024 season, where he served as a journeyman role player for the Washington Wizards, Detroit Pistons, and the Milwaukee Bucks, making his final appearance in a brief 2024 playoff cameo alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Though his NBA career concluded in Milwaukee, Gallinari extended his professional basketball career by one last season abroad, leading the Puerto Rican club Vaqueros de Bayamón to a league championship and capturing the Finals MVP award in August 2025 before stepping away to spend time with his family.
Gallinari now lives in Miami, Florida, where he resides for most of the year with his three children. He is now a dual Italian and American citizen and has transitioned away from the daily demands of the sport.
Ex-Knicks, Nuggets Star Reveals Why He Could Be NBA’s Biggest What-If