15-year NBA veteran Danilo Gallinari has torn his left ACL while playing for his native Italy’s National Team during the EuroBasket 2022 Tournament.
In July, Gallinari signed a multi-year free agent deal with the reigning Eastern Conference Champions, the Boston Celtics. The injury was reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.
After receiving further evaluation, Boston’s Danilo Gallinari has been diagnosed with a torn ACL in his left knee, per sources. This is the same ACL that Gallinari tore in 2013.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 2, 2022
Gallinari was one of two significant additions to the team this offseason, the other being former Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon. Although they were very close to winning it all, the Celtics took an aggressive approach this offseason rather than simply “running it back.”
It will be interesting to see how Boston will handle this loss. Will they try to trade for another sharpshooting big? Will they sign a veteran-free agent? We shall see. With many stretch big men reportedly in trade rumors, like Harrison Barnes of the Sacramento Kings, it will be fun to watch what Brad Stevens and the rest of the Celtics front office have planned up their sleeves.
As for Gallinari, this is a tough break. After spending the last couple of seasons with a young team, the Atlanta Hawks, he finally had a chance to compete for a championship. Something else of significance for Gallinari is that this is the second time his left ACL has been torn; it was previously torn in 2013 with the Denver Nuggets. He also just turned 34 years old, which is significant in terms of how many more years he has left in him, and now, with this injury, speculation may begin as to whether he will finish his contract with the Celtics or retire.
He should receive much praise for going out there and competing for his country, even towards the latter half of his career. We hope everything goes well with his recovery and that he is in better health as soon as possible.
