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Pregnant Wife Of Former NBA Player Danilo Gallinari Recovering After Shark Attack

Originally posted on Hoops Wire | By Sam Amico | Last updated Aug 2, 2025 12:51 PM ET

The pregnant wife of former NBA first-round pick Danilo Gallinari is recovering after a shark attack during a family beach outing in Puerto Rico.

Eleonora Boi was wading in the crowded waters off Carolina when she was bitten on the leg, she shared Friday, via the New York Post.

“It was the worst day of my life,” Boi wrote on Instagram, according to a translated post. “I never thought I could get attacked by a shark. I was near the shore and on a super crowded beach. Thankfully me and my baby are fine.”

Boi is expecting the couple’s third child. She and Gallinari already share a 4-year-old daughter and a 2-year-old son. Boi, a sports journalist, was rushed to a local hospital where she underwent surgery for what she described as her “poor bruised leg.”

Carolina Municipal Police Commissioner Captain Rubén Moyeno told El Nuevo Día that Boi suffered an open wound on her thigh. She was listed in stable condition after the procedure and has begun her recovery from what she called “a great scare.”

Puerto Rico’s Department of Natural and Environmental Resources backed up Boi’s report of a shark bite, though the exact species has yet to be confirmed.

“Based on the photographs provided to us, it is considered that the characteristics of it could be compatible with those of sharks, but to validate this it would be necessary to carry out a series of analyses,” said Dr. Nilda Jimenez, coordinator of the Protected Species Program.

Officials did not issue any beach warnings but police and lifeguards stayed on alert.

Boi credited Gallinari for keeping calm after the attack.

“I thank my husband who despite being married to Fantozzi-Boi he gave me all his love and courage,” she wrote, making a playful reference to Italian movie character Ugo Fantozzi. Boi also joked the shark would be hearing from her lawyers.

The injury kept Boi and Gallinari from attending a Bad Bunny concert in San Juan.

“Don’t be deceived, it’s only for a little while,” Boi added.

Gallinari has not publicly commented.

The No. 6 overall pick by the New York Knicks in the 2008 draft, Gallinari started his professional career in Italy before entering the NBA. He played in 157 games for the Knicks, averaging 12.4 points per game over three seasons before being traded to the Denver Nuggets in 2011.

He would go on to suit up for six other NBA teams and wrapped up his NBA career in 2024 after 777 games, averaging 14.9 points and nearly 29 minutes per game.

Earlier this year, Gallinari signed with Vaqueros de Bayamón of Puerto Rico’s Baloncesto Superior Nacional.