Danilo Gallinari—all 6-10 of him—is sitting on a small couch in a makeshift green room at the Nordstrom Century City in Los Angeles. It is All-Star Weekend, and the veteran is making an appearance on behalf of Tissot. Teammates describe Gallo as laid-back and unbothered, and that’s exactly how he looks today. The Clippers forward is lounging comfortably amidst several reporters, photographers, and security guards–like someone who’s been doing this for a long, long time.

It’s been almost ten years since Gallinari, who has played for the Knicks, Nuggets and Clippers in that span, entered the NBA; 13 years since he became a pro basketball player; and 23 years since he first picked up the game as a young boy living more than 6,000 miles away in Milan, Italy. He was merely six then, but the love was already apparent.