Vaqueros de Bayamon, led by Danilo Gallinari and a few other former Denver Nuggets, won the championship in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional on Monday.
Gallinari tallied 24 points, six rebounds and four assists in the 82-68 win, earning the forward MVP in the clinching win for his team. But also standing out for the victors was former Nuggets center JaVale McGee, who started and had some big games earlier in the playoffs. During the final game, another former Nugget, Renaldo Balkman, was the game’s leading rebounder in helping Vaqueros de Bayamon off the bench.
MVP Danilo Gallinari 🤠🔥🏆#VaquerosBSN pic.twitter.com/r4BL2B6TDN
— Vaqueros de Bayamón (@VaquerosBSN) August 12, 2025
It was a nice note for Gallinari after a scary incident earlier this month, where his pregnant wife needed surgery after a shark bite.
Gallinari, 36, last played in the NBA in 2024. He spent six years with the Nuggets, where he helped the team surge into becoming a surprise contender. He was part of the package Denver received in the 2011 blockbuster trade, which sent Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks.
McGee was also last in the NBA during the same season and made a short cameo with the Nuggets again in 2021 as part of his five years in total in Denver. Balkman, who is Puerto Rican and 41, hasn’t been in the NBA since 2012. He’s been playing in his native land since 2019.
Monday’s game could be the last of Gallinari’s club career, as the forward has hinted that he may retire after representing Italy at EuroBasket, which begins later this month.
