Italian Gallinari eager to prove himself to Knicks fans

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Danilo Gallinari knows he is an unknown talent to New York's NBA fans yet the Italian forward vowed to prove himself after the Knicks selected him on Thursday with the sixth pick of the NBA Draft.

"It's a part of the game, all of the players have got to hear this," the 6 ft 8 ins (2.03) Gallinari told reporters after the Madison Square Garden crowd erupted in boos when his name was announced as the Knicks' selection.

The fans were hoping the hometown team would fill a need at point guard.

"Not every time can you hear good things. So it's normal here," the Italian added.

The 19-year-old Gallinari averaged 17.5 points and 5.7 rebounds for Armani Jeans Milano in the Italian A-1 League and played in the 2007 Italian All-Star Game.

"I feel normal and comfortable with that," he said about the crowd reaction. "I have got no problem and it's my work to prove to everybody that I am a good player."

Gallinari, whose father, Vittorio was a former team mate of Knicks' head coach Mike D'Antoni in the Italian professional league, said he looked forward to life in New York.

"I'm so excited, I have no words. It's a dream for me and I really don't know what to say.

"I'm so excited and happy to be here," he said when asked about coming to a big city with a large Italian population.

"I think it's a good situation for that, and I think New York is similar to Milan and I would like to be here."

Gallinari said he did not really know D'Antoni but had heard about him from his father.

"I met him only one time. My father knows him. I don't know him like my father. I met him only one time six years ago," he said.

Gallinari said he is ready to learn all about what it takes to succeed in the NBA, and will try to help D'Antoni polish up his once-fluent Italian.

"For sure, we can talk some Italian," Gallinari said. "In the last few days Italian journalists tell me that his Italian in the last five or six years has not done so well.

"I would say forza Italia, and forza New York. Let's go Italy, let's go New York."

(Editing by Martin Petty)