Exclusive: Danilo Gallinari talks about time in OKC, SGA's rise, Daigneault

While enjoying his time with Thunder fans, Gallinari talked about his one-season stay in OKC and what it was like to see Gilgeous-Alexander go from NBA puppy to one of the greatest players in league history. Here's what he had to say to Thunder Wire about his brief time on the Thunder in his 14-year NBA career:

Early days with SGA

Everybody has a story. If you were around Gilgeous-Alexander for his first couple of seasons in the NBA, you saw the start of an NBA career whose accolades will skyrocket him through several of his current peers and past competitors in all-time point guard talks. Unless you're Doc Rivers, nobody could even dream of the 27-year-old becoming who he is right now.

Not even the Thunder or their wildest half-glass-full folks could believe he'd turn into a multi-time MVP winner. A multi-time All-Star? Sure. Of course. Maybe the next DeMar DeRozan and a piece to a contending core? Not that difficult to envision.

But the main engine of a budding NBA dynasty??? I mean, c'mon now. Not even the biggest OKC homers could dare think the thought. Much less actually articulate it. That said, Gallinari saw flickers. He's the only guy in the history of the world who can say he had the privilege to see Gilgeous-Alexander's first two seasons as an NBA teammate.

"As teammates, we saw something special already when he was working in LA with the Clippers. And then seeing the way that he played his second season in OKC with me, we all saw that he was going to be a superstar," Gallinari said. "I don't know about MVP level, but we all saw he was going to be an amazing player."

Working with Daigneault

Almost equally impressive, Gallinari had the chance to work with Daigneault in his first NBA coaching reps. He's had quite the journey to be considered one of the sharpest minds in the game that camp on the sidelines and viciously smacks on a fistful of bubble gum.

Grinding away at the college ranks at UConn, Holy Cross and Florida, Daigneault showed enough intangibles in a limited role to eventually land an NBA gig. The Thunder hired him to be their G League's OKC Blue head coach from 2014-19. Reading the writing on the wall, OKC added him to Billy Donovan's last Thunder coaching staff as a way to crash-course the NBA experience as a hopeful successor.

Part of Daigneault's impromptu NBA coaching internship was working with Gallinari. In a normal environment, assistant coaches get a handful of players assigned to work with throughout the year. The divide-and-conquer strategy gives guys ample time to build up relationships as they spend nearly every day with each other for nine-plus months.

One of those was Daigneault and Gallinari. When the former was asked about the latter's recent basketball retirement, he gushed at him. The feeling is the same for both parties, it turns out. During OKC's hiring process, the 6-foot-10 forward bet the house that the obscure OKC assistant would land the gig. Even if the decision wasn't a grand slam for headlines and excitement, it turned out to be the right move all these years later.

"I told him multiple times, 'You're going to be the coach and you're going to be a great coach.' You could see it from him," Gallinari said. "The way that he approaches basketball. The way that he talks about basketball. The way that he manages himself as a coach in front of the team. Those are things that I think make him special. He's special."

Seeing Dort's growth from two-way to All-Defense

He goes under the radar sometimes, but Lu Dort also helped establish the groundwork of what eventually became a championship-winning environment. Alongside Gilgeous-Alexander, they're tied for the longest-tenured players on the roster. Both joined OKC in 2019. In his case, he was an undrafted two-way rookie.

Eventually, Dort accelerated past that status. It didn't take long for him to get converted to a standard deal. By the end of the year, he was an OKC starter and dropped 30 points in their Game 7 loss to the Houston Rockets. That's where his mythos as a one-on-one stopper grew as he held James Harden to below-average numbers.

Surrounded by vets like Chris Paul and Gallinari, Dort had the perfect support system. The latter remembers what it was like to see him grow in his importance as he jettisoned his way to near the top of OKC's rotation by the end of the year. He's one of their best developmental stories in franchise history.

"He played an amazing season with us. The way that he approaches basketball, the way that he approaches his teammates, his demeanor, and how he presents himself in his work ethic. He's just a special guy, not just a special player," Gallinari said. "He fits perfectly with Shai and perfectly with this team. I think his leadership role has grown over these years. I think you can consider him one of the leaders of this team. He's consistent. His offensive package has gotten better. He's one of the best two-way players and defenders in the league."

Gallinari's unique relationship with OKC fans

Visiting OKC during their NBA playoff run, Gallinari had the chance to see what the downtown environment is like this time of the year. You can't go more than one mile without seeing the Thunder's logo plastered on a car or on a glass window. Flags are plastered everywhere. Jerseys are worn by every other pedestrian you walk by.

Playing on eight teams across his 14 years in the NBA, Gallinari can be described as a journeyman. One of those stops included the Thunder in the 2019-20 season. Known as the team that made the playoffs with a 0.2% chance of doing so, his sole season there turned him into a fan favorite quickly.

Thunder fans would blast his YouTube-created anthem. Gallinari enjoyed a career year there from the outside. He shot an eye-popping 40.5% from 3 on 7.1 outside attempts. Even by today's inflated numbers, those marks stand out for the right seasons. Despite all that, he had the unfortunate distinction of being part of the OKC team that made the playoffs but didn't enjoy its homecourt advantage.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the world to stop. After a three-month stoppage, the NBA eventually resumed its year inside The Bubble. The Thunder made the cut and eventually pushed the Rockets to a Game 7 in Round 1 of the 2020 NBA playoffs. Even though he only played for OKC for one year, Gallinari remains fond of the fanbase.

"Me and family, we love coming back and spending some time in OKC. Because of the bond that we have with the fans. The city is very special to me. I don't say just to say it. In my career, some cities were more special to me than others. OKC is definitely special for me and for my family," Gallinari said. "My wife was pregnant with my daughter, my first child, here. A lot of special things happened for me and for my family during the season."

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Exclusive: Danilo Gallinari talks about time in OKC, SGA's rise, Daigneault