One of the Boston Celtics offseason injury blows, Danilo Gallinari, spoke with members of the media following Tuesday's practice.
Gallinari, with 13 seasons in the books to his NBA career, was set to serve as a major depth addition to begin the 2022-2023 season with the Celtics. However, after suffering a torn ACL when playing for Team Italy on Aug. 27 during the EuroBasket FIBA tournament, Gallinari -- and the Celtics -- endured a major setback.
"It's tough," Gallinari told reporters, per NBC Sports Boston video. "It's tough mentally. ... The good and the bad thing is that I've been through this already, so I know what to expect but it's always tough. Especially when you approach a situation like this, coming and playing for the Celtics, ready to help the team winning. ... Nothing I can do about it. We here and now we gotta focus on a re-up."
The 34-year-old veteran released a statement on Sept. 23 after undergoing successful surgery at the New England Baptist Hospital.
"I knew from experience," Gallinari said. "I knew something was wrong right away. The way that I got injured was very similar to the way I got injured the first time. ... So yeah, my feeling were that something big happening in my knee. Unfortunately, I was right. ... I started walking two days ago, three days ago so that's a huge step."
With Gallinari out for some noteworthy time, the opportunity has presented itself for others to fill the void before the Celtics begin their campaign against the Philadelphia 76ers on Oct. 18.
