Gallinari reveals fitting jersey number in first tweet with Celtics originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Danilo Gallinari will have to make a few adjustments in Boston, but choosing a new jersey number won’t be one of them.
The new Celtics forward, who agreed to a two-year, $13.3 million contract with the team after being bought out by the San Antonio Spurs, will wear No. 8 with the C’s, according to a tweet he shared early Tuesday morning.
“The place I’ve always dreamed,” Gallinari wrote in the caption along with a photoshop of himself in a No. 8 Celtics uniform.
Gallinari has worn No. 8 with each of his five previous NBA teams; according to 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Sean Grande, the number is a nod to Gallinari’s birthdate on Aug. 8, 1988 (8/8/88).
That number recently became available in Boston when the team traded Malik Fitts to the Indiana Pacers as part of the Malcolm Brogdon deal. Josh Richardson and Kemba Walker previously wore No. 8 before Fitts, while other notable players to wear the number with the Celtics include Scott Wedman, Antoine Walker, Al Jefferson and Jeff Green.
Forsberg: Weighing the pros and cons of adding Gallinari
The 33-year-old should provide much-needed scoring and outside shooting off the bench for Boston after averaging 11.7 points and hitting 38.1 percent of his 3-pointers for the Atlanta Hawks last season.
Gallinari also gets to compete for a championship after making it past the second round just once in 13 NBA seasons, and it sounds like he’s excited about the opportunity.