Danilo Gallinari says some of his teammates hated to play in New York because of pressure: "I got models, actresses, coming to see me play...Where's the pressure?"

Danilo Gallinari says some of his teammates hated to play in New York because of pressure: “I got models, actresses, coming to see me play…Where’s the pressure?” originally appeared on Basketball Network.

There is a belief in the NBA world that once a player joins a large-market franchise, their career is set for life – surrounded by glitz and glamor and endless opportunities under the spotlight, but it was different for Danilo Gallinari.

He offered a sobering reality check, revealing the intense pressure that comes with representing such teams. According to him, when expectations aren’t met, especially in a place like New York, there’s little mercy shown.

Moreover, things could get so nasty that even the Knicks’ fans would make it miserable to play inside the home arena for their own players.

Gallinari’s experience with the New York Knicks

Gallinari was selected sixth overall by the Knicks in the 2008 draft class. Although he didn’t get much time on the hardwood during his rookie campaign, the team only won 32 games under coach Mike D’Antoni and ultimately missed the playoffs.

The following season, Gallinari made a massive leap, improving his scoring average from 6.1 to 15.1 points per game while playing in 81 games in the regular season. However, despite his individual growth, the team’s total win count dropped to 29 and at that moment, he realized how the lack of team success could haunt players in unknown ways.

On a recent episode of the “Run Your Race” podcast, Gallinari reflected on the psychological weight that came with such disappointing seasons. The celebrity fanfare and media spotlight that might attract the outsiders, didn’t mean much to the players inside the locker room. In fact, he emphasized how his own teammates grew scared of stepping onto the hardwood, especially when inside the Madison Square Garden.

“They knew, we lose, we getting booed. I’m like, ‘I’m playing at the Madison Square Garden – looking at the front row – I got models, actresses, actors, coming to see me play. I’m balling out; where’s the pressure? I’m so happy to play at the Garden,'” Gallinari said with a chuckle.

“But I understand; a lot of my teammates were not that happy to play in that situation where you’re losing and you play for the Knicks,” he revealed.

Playing for a large-market franchise is always scary

Gallinari’s admission still rings true even to this day. Look at the 2024-25 Knicks, for instance. Players like Mikal Bridges, Karl Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby were hailed as the ideal supporting cast members at one point, but after the team was eliminated in the Eastern Conference finals, they became the first ones that the fans wouldn’t mind being shipped out to bring an all-time great like Kevin Durant for a championship push in the 2025-26 season.

So, as Danilo put it, playing for New York – or, as a matter of fact, any other large-market franchise – might look like a dream come true from the outside. But when expectations are not met, the experience can quickly turn into a nightmare. Put simply, the lights may be bright, but so is the heat. So, if things go haywire even for a single campaign, the pressure that the fans create inside their own home arena can be nothing less than suffocating.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 20, 2025, where it first appeared.

Danilo Gallinari says some of his teammates hated to play in New York because of pressure: “I got models, actresses, coming to see me play…Where’s the pressure?”

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