Clippers forward Danilo Gallinari, playing for Italy against the Netherlands, hit Dutch forward Jito Kok so hard in the face, Gallinari hurt his hand.
Gallinari in La Gazzetta dello Sport, as translated by E. Carchia of Sportando:
“I am very sorry for so many reasons. First because I am not part anymore of the Italian NT team and for the way I left it. Italian NT is like a second family to me and I feel really bad. I reacted after being elbowed. My reaction must be condemned but I got an elbow and we’ll never know if it was on purpose or not. The problem is that the elbows were flying high for a while during the game and when we were shooting they put their feet under us with the risk of getting hurt. In a short way, they were not playing clean. The game looked more as a fight. With this, I am not seeking an alibi, my reaction is inexcusable. I apologize to my teammates, to the whole National Team and also to Kok. I lost my control, never happened before and never have to happen again” Gallinari said.
Good for Gallinari for both apologizing and explaining himself. This is a great template for anyone who wants to do both.
