Celtics forward Danilo Gallinari suffered a torn ACL in his left knee, forcing the Italian star to miss the 2022-23 NBA season.
Gallinari sustained the injury while playing for his home nation of Italy in a FIBA World Cup qualifier against Georgia on Aug. 27, the Celtics tweeted on Friday.
When the injury occurred, Gallinari, grabbed his left knee after a bounce pass in the lane before hobbling over to the sideline, holding the back of the knee, ESPN reported. The forward then limped to the locker room with the help of a staff member and a teammate.
Gallinari previously tore the same ACL in April 2013 and missed the entire 2013-14 season after undergoing two surgeries.
Gallinari, who turned 34 last month, addressed his injury in a statement on Twitter.
“This has been a tough week for me as I have learned the extent of my injury,” the 6-foot-10 forward said. “This game means everything to me and not being able to be on the court with my Celtics teammates hurts. I plan to give everything I can to the Celtics organization and my teammates as we hunt for a title.
Danilo Gallinari of Italy in action during the basketball International Friendly match between Italy and France at Unipol Arena on August 12, 2022 in Bologna, Italy. Getty Images“I will work tirelessly with the Celtics staff to return to the court as soon as I can and I appreciate the unwavering support from the fans, my teammates, and the entire NBA family.”
Gallinari is reportedly determined to try and return at some point late in the 2022-23 season.
Gallinari signed a two-year, $13.2 million contract with the Celtics as a free agent in July. The deal includes a player option for the second season.
According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, the Celtics will be able to apply for a designated player exception to replace Gallinari, which will give Boston $3.2 million to either sign, trade for or claim a player on an expiring contract worth up to that amount.
Last season, Gallinari averaged 11.7 points and shot 38.1% from 3-point range across 66 games for the Hawks.
