By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
In a press conference about the collaboration of the NBA with the Italian UBI Bank, Danilo Gallinari was present and spoke about the Italian national team, Denver and his teammates, Andrea Bargnani and Alessandro Gentile.
First and foremost the issue that still bothers him is the fact that Italy, despite hosting one of the three pre-Olympic tournaments, missed the chance to go to Rio: “The big disappointment was the defeat at home to Croatia in front of 15,000 spectators im am incredible atmosphere. You win and lose together, but the responsibility is all on me. For sure, the referees had their share, the protests of (rd.note: Croatian coach) Petrovic had influenced them. However there is no excuse/ A game like that, at home, you have to win it in any way. We should also approach the matter with a certain realism and realize that certain statements, by the press and or the experts, do not correspond to the truth: to say that this is the strongest national team ever or the most talented is always false. Or to say that we are one of the strongest national teams in Europe on paper, while on the court there are many stronger teams”.
About his future in the NBA, he added: “In Denver I am very well. There was a chance last year to go to some other team before the deadline in February, but I refused. If I return to Italy would be back to Olimpia Milano but with the intention of winning, I don’t like the idea of nostalgic return”.
As for two of his national team teammates who are not in the NBA right now, Andrea Bargnani and Alessandro Gentile, he explained: “Bargnani has made the right choice, to return to Europe as a protagonist in a good team. Alessandro should do well in Milan. Houston did not help much Alessandro in his path to the NBA I’m afraid, he was not able to come to the NBA, but I think for a player of his level the doors will always be open”.