The Boston Celtics recently defeated the Washington Wizards 126-107 on the road, and before the game, former Celtic wing Danilo Gallinari spoke about his experience in green in an interview with the Athletic’s Jay King.
Gallinari joined Boston during the 2022 offseason, figuring to be a key rotation piece for a team with real title aspirations. Two months later, Gallinari tore his ACL playing for his native Italy during the 2022 FIBA World Cup qualifying play. The injury sidelined him for the following season. Gallinari was later traded to Washington as part of the deal that landed Kristaps Porzingis in Boston. A player with a long list of previous injuries, Gallanari reflected on the missed opportunity.
“I had the chance to decide to go to a championship team,” Gallinari said. “And just like all my career, the timing with injuries has always been terrible. So it was just bad timing.”
Is the NBA in trouble with the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks? https://t.co/Cq7aIgS6E5 pic.twitter.com/hTOMih7C03
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) November 1, 2023
“I thought we had the chance to win it,” Gallinari continued. “I thought especially during the series with Miami I could have helped a lot. But it’s all in the past.”
Gallinari never took the floor for the Celtics during his lone season with the club. He told the Athletic that he admired the organization’s approach to basketball and that he would have been a seamless fit into Boston’s system.
“Just the way that they played defense,” Gallinari explained. “The way that they prepared the game against us, I thought that offensively I could have helped the team a lot.”
Dalano Banton, Lamar Stevens on the Boston Celtics' bench vs. Wizards https://t.co/lpFHmvnbxp pic.twitter.com/7VZCNHQMR6
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) November 1, 2023
Although Gallnari didn’t think he would be traded during the 2023 offseason, he knows to expect the unexpected in the NBA.
“Being part of the business for so many years,” Gallinari explained. “I understand that’s just part of it,”
Gallinari may wonder what could have been, but there isn’t love lost between him and the Celtics. He told the Athletic he is thankful for what Boston offered him, and he’s appreciative of the relationships he built.
“From Joe (Mazzulla) to all the trainers and the people that worked with me rehabbing, which is a tough process, long process,” Gallinari said. “All the relationships I was able to create were great even if I was there just for one season. I still talk to those guys and I’m glad we were able to build something outside of basketball, bigger than basketball.”
Payton Pritchard's extension with the Boston Celtics gets high marks in new assessment https://t.co/yXOR72I0Oy pic.twitter.com/PYO0pyS9Vw
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) November 1, 2023
Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi
YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ
