"I'm traumatized" - Pregnant wife of ex-NBA star Danilo Gallinari opens up about surviving harrowing shark attack

Danilo Gallinari has been playing for the Vaqueros de Bayamón in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional since January 2025. While the former NBA players had one of the best times on the basketball court in Puerto Rico, he and his wife also had one of the most traumatizing times of their lives on the Caribbean island.

On July 31, the basketball player and his wife were left traumatized by what happened at a beach in Puerto Rico. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Gallinari's pregnant wife, Eleonora Boi, was bitten by a shark at a beach in Carolina.

In a conversation with "Good Morning America" on Thursday, Boi revealed that when she was bitten by a shark, she thought it was a jellyfish.

"I felt a strong pain, and my thigh was burning, but my idea was, 'Maybe it's a huge jellyfish.' But in the reality, it wasn't a jellyfish," Boi said. "I started crying and screaming and I was screaming for help in Italian."

The Italian basketball player said that when he heard people screaming, he ran towards his wife and his daughter, who were still in the water.

Boi said that she was scared for herself and her unborn child.

"Oh, my God,' I was saying, 'I don't want to die' and 'I want that my baby is safe.' And I was crying. I was desperate, really desperate."

The couple said they quickly rushed to the hospital, and after a long checkup, the doctor assured them that their unborn baby was safe before they started the surgery.

While Boi is still recovering from her wound, it has been harder for her to recover mentally.

"I have to be honest, it's not easy, because when I remember, I'm still scared -- and, you know, it's difficult."

Danilo Gallinari and his wife especially thanked a woman who worked like an angel. The couple said that as soon as they rushed to the shore, the woman put a clean towel on the wound and kept the pressure to stop the blood loss.

"She was an angel...I don't know her name, and I just want to say thank you to her, because she helped a lot."

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Danilo Gallinari wins Finals MVP in a title win for Vaqueros

Danilo Gallinari played 14 seasons in the NBA, representing teams like the Denver Nuggets, LA Clippers, OKC Thunder and New York Knicks. He last played for the Milwaukee Bucks, exiting the NBA without any titles to his credit.

However, shortly after he played for the NBA, the Italian forward won his first title as a pro and won the Finals MVP. He led the Vaqueros de Bayamón in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional for their 17th title on Tuesday.

The Vaqueros won the Finals series by 4-1 against the Leones de Ponce. Danilo Gallinari recorded 24 points, six rebounds and four assists in Game 5 and was named the Finals MVP.