LOS ANGELES — Wearing a gray designer suit, Danilo Gallinari stopped in front of the Nuggets’ locker room at Staples Center and wrapped head of team security Bobby Simmons in a pseudo headlock.
The playful greeting illustrated six years of relationships that cannot be broken by a summer sign-and-trade. Wednesday’s matchup between Denver and the Clippers also doubled as Gallinari’s first chance to reunite with his former team, following an offseason departure he described as amicable.
“I tried (to stay),” Gallinari said. “Denver has always been my first option. I think you guys know now how the (contract negotiations and trade) went.