SACRAMENTO, Calif. – With only about 36 hours in Athens, Greece, Billy Donovan spent much of his trip in the hotel and basketball arena.
It was August, when Greece’s capital city is notoriously hot. But the Thunder coach didn’t have time to soak up the sun on the riviera, gazing out on turquoise water and rolling hills. No, Donovan was in Athens on a mission that didn’t include vacationing. He was there to get to know Danilo Gallinari.
“It was a good surprise,” Gallinari said, his Italian accent softening each word. “I knew he was coming, of course he told me he was coming, and we had a chance to spend some time together.