A high-end role player who loved his time with the Clippers, where he perhaps played the best basketball of his NBA career, but left LA too soon. That is the feeling Danilo Gallinari expressed on his podcast in the latest episode of A Cresta Alta. During the stream, he said his situation was directly linked to Kawhi Leonard as he addressed the current drama surrounding the two-time champion.
Danilo Gallinari did not hold back about how he truly feels
"He should pay all of that $50 million. He changed the trajectory of my career and put me in a difficult situation by sending me away from Los Angeles.”
Those were Danilo Gallinari's words when talking about Kawhi Leonard's fine, adding that he should give the money to charity. His comments showed just how much he valued his time in an LA Clippers jersey, which put him in a great position to be an important contributor on a team that was able to give its opponents plenty of headaches.
Then, he went on to express his regret about leaving and beginning a journey that saw him move from team to team over the following years, getting older without finding a context in which he felt as involved and important as he did with the Clippers. He added that he wasn’t upset about ending up in Oklahoma City, even if Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was happier than he was about how the Thunder stint went, and closed his remarks by looking back on what had happened.
“What happened to my NBA career wasn’t decided by a general manager or an owner, but by a player who decided that team wasn’t good enough and wanted something else.”
Did that something else ultimately prove its value? At the time, the combination of Leonard and Paul George seemed like a major boost to the Clippers’ championship ambitions. But the duo's outcome was ultimately underwhelming given the expectations.
On the other hand, Gallinari's role became less important over time, something that probably would have happened in LA as well. Still, at least he would have remained in an environment he knew well and where he could perhaps have continued to contribute at a high level.
But the growth of Gilgeous-Alexander and his meteoric rise into one of the league’s biggest stars represent something the Clippers let go of, something they are still missing today. All while giving up seven draft picks in the process.
With that in mind, when you consider Gallinari’s remarks and look at the bigger picture, it is hard to blame him for feeling the way he does.
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