How Danilo Gallinari gave me a new friend

I made a similar post to this over the summer asking how people became Knick fans, I figured since I have nothing better to do I figured I'd share a little bit.  It's kinda a long post, and I apologize for that, but hey, you don't want to read it? Doesn't bother me.... WHY WONT THEY READ IT!!! : ' (

Na.  Don't care

(Note: this is not a 2 AM rant by a college student, I unfortunately did not forsee the marketing potential of that franchise and sold the trademark)

As a 90's child, I grew up with the Knicks being relevant.  My Dad was really just a Hockey fan, but the kids next door (who were 1 and 3 years older than myself, and thus effectively gods) were big basketball fans and loved the Knicks.  I got my first taste of Orange and Blue and became obsessed (in particular with John Starks) over the next few years.  I bought all of the basketball videogames and had a giant book of trading cards.  I had at least three different editions of each card every Knick from 1995-1998, and my love of the game was growing.  But then then the neighbors moved away.  All of my other friends were either baseball or football guys.  Sure we could play basketball, but nobody really watched it.  I stayed a Knicks fan (although whenever playoff time came around I was rooting for the Cavs, sacrilidge? Maybe) but other sports took precedence.  Fast forward to last year, my sophomore year of college.  I go to school in Boston and finding fans of my teams was tough.  Sophomore year one of my roommates was a random from New Jersey that I hadn't met.  The guy was a Jets fan and despite being a Yankees fan (Mets fan here) I wanted to share more in common with him.  When he asked if I was a Knicks fan I said sure.  So what if I hadn't been paying much attention lately, I still could consider myself a Knicks fan.  I remember just prior to the season reading an article about Danilo Gallinari, that stupid Italian guy we had drafted instead of Brook Lopez.  The article said that a lot of Gallinari's struggles had been due to his injuries, and having Italian heritage myself I wanted to believe it.  So my roommate and I started following this kooky italian.  When he started off well out of the gates we grew to love him more.  Every time he shot a three we did a shitty Italian impression saying "eeet eees the lava inside the three point line."  Every time we played NBA 2K10 only Danilo got the ball.  We adored him.  Sure we weren't having a playoff caliber season, but there was always Danilo.  For every game that we could, we would watch on my computer, despite the shitty resolution trying to follow our 6'10" idol.  Danilo, you're gone now, probably forever, but you gave me one of my strongest friendships in college, and it's only a year later but I know I'll always remember those days spent huddling in a tiny college dorm room watching the game.  I'll miss you Ray, I'll miss you wil, even AR and Timo, but there is no one I will miss like the man they call Il Gallo.