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“Let’s make this clear once and for all. First of all, in order to return to Milan, you have to be wanted. That it was my dream? Of course it was – it always has been. I’ve always said it. Even during my last years in the NBA, I thought about coming back to Milan,” Gallinari said. “But again, to return, you have to be wanted. It’s not like I wake up one morning, make a call and say, ‘Hey guys, I’m ready to come back, do you want me?’ That’s not how it works.”
Danilo Gallinari: “I thank all the teams that reached out, showing interest—even while I was under contract in the U.S.—to ask what my situation was or what my future plans were. But I have never received a phone call from Milan. To come back, you have to be wanted. At 37, it’s now very difficult to return to Europe for both basketball and non-basketball reasons.”
Danilo Gallinari on returning to Europe: 'I consider it very, very difficult'
Meanwhile, in Milan, some still dream of one last Gallinari homecoming with Olimpia Milano, the club where he first became a star before making the leap to the NBA. Gallinari himself, however, poured cold water on that hope. “Returning to Europe and to Milan? It’s a dream. I’m not saying it’s impossible, but I consider it very, very difficult. The further we go, the more complicated that scenario becomes.”
Alessandro Luigi Maggi: Italbasket, press conference with Gianmarco Pozzecco and Gigi Datome at 3 p.m. in Milan. The news should be Donte DiVincenzo's withdrawal from Eurobasket 2025, I'm told. 🇮🇹 Darius Thompson, Valencia's new point guard and available for the Training Camp, is expected to be called up in his place. This would make the player Italian for all intents and purposes, even for FIBA.
The 34-year-old NBA star traveled to Milan and Paris for Fashion Week — his first time in Paris, he tells PEOPLE — where he not-so-quietly debuted his new sneaker design in three colors while sitting front-row at shows for Louis Vuitton, Armani and Amiri. "There's no set-in-stone release date, but I guess it just caught some people's eyes walking around in fashion week and they've just been asking questions," Leonard tells PEOPLE of the sneak peek at his new designs.
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Los Angeles Clippers star forward Kawhi Leonard has several New Balance 480 V2s on the horizon, which he previewed last month at the Milan and Paris Fashion Weeks. Leonard made an appearance at a number of runway shows last week, where he was spotted in three previously unseen 480 V2s. He was seen at the Emporio Armani show wearing a reflective white-based colorway before switching to a tonal neon yellow iteration at the Louis Vuitton show.
On Tuesday, two days after the end of the EuroLeague Final Four, a EuroLeague committee consisting per Eurohoops sources of ASVEL owner and French basketball icon Tony Parker, Maccabi owner Danny Federman, Fenerbahce GM Mauricio Gherardini, Milan GM Christos Stavropoulos and Bayern Munich consultant Marco Pesic will meet in Geneva with FIBA and the NBA, to discuss the future of European basketball competitions.
Samardo Samuels was arrested in Milan on Saturday night, according to local Italian outlet Il Giorno. The 36-year-old Jamaican was allegedly playing extremely loud music and drinking alcohol in the courtyard of a residential building, alongside a Cane Corso dog. A family, fearing for their safety, called the authorities, and he was eventually apprehended by the Carabinieri. “I’m a champion. I’m not a criminal,” he shouted while struggling to follow the directions of the authorities, as noted.
NBC has a gauntlet of premium live sports rights in early 2026, including the Super Bowl in the Bay Area, the Winter Olympics in Milan, and NBA All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles. NBC and the NBA have discussed starting the NBA All-Star Game at 5 p.m. Eastern next year, sources told Front Office Sports. This makes sense on several levels, both for the network and sports fans at large. Sunday’s All-Star Game started after 8 p.m. and didn’t finish until around 11 on the East Coast.
Ettore Messina, who coached him in his first year at CSKA Moscow and from 2020 to 2024 in Milan, thanked Kyle Hines. “Thank YOU Sir! It’s been special to share these years together ❤️”, he said. Kevin Punter, who reached the 2021 EuroLeague Final Four with him, joined the list. “Appreciated being your teammate and brother!! 🙏🏾 enjoy bro!”, he said. Zach LeDay, who rejoined Milan this season, followed. “MORE THAN GRATEFUL TO HAVE SHARED MY JOURNEY WITH YOU G”, he said.
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Another former teammate in Milan, Shabazz Napier, joined. “Congratulations Champ. Thankful for all of those moments I had you as a teammate/brother. You deserve this moment because you paved the way for all of us my brother. You made the ultimate sacrifice time and time again. Legendary Hines. Love always”, the newest Bayern Munich’s playmaker said.
Urging to find a new big man under the rim after Josh Nebo’s departure to Milan, Maccabi Tel Aviv signed Wenyen Gabriel for the 2024-25 season. The deal includes an option to extend the relationship for another year. The 27-year-old versatile big man recently played in Puerto Rico with the Vaqueros de Bayamón, where he put up 13.0 points and 7.4 rebounds per night after ending his NBA experience in Memphis.
In the EuroLeague Regular Season Round 16, Jerian Grant helped Panathinaikos get the on-the-road 76-68 win over his former team in Milano. After the game, SDNA reported that the 2022-23 EuroCup MVP is set to extend his contract with the Greek team until 2026. Dimitris Giannakopoulos previously shared his appreciation for the former NBA guard. “I hope you understand that you will be a resident of OAKA for many years to come”, Panathinaikos‘ president shared on his social media about the former Turk Telekom Ankara player.
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan are negotiating a deal with Shaquille Harrison, according to BasketNews sources. Eurodevotion first reported that Milan had set their sights on Harrison to bolster their point guard position.
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