The pregnant wife of a basketball star who was bitten by a shark has taken to social media to recount the details of the terrifying attack.

After an extensive career as a power forward in the NBA with the likes of the Denver Nuggets and the Los Angeles Clippers, Danilo Gallinari now turns out for Vaqueros de Bayamon in Puerto Rico.

After Gallinari made the move to the US territory earlier this year, he and his wife Eleonora Boi have been enjoying their new life in the Caribbean.

That is, until Eleonora suffered a horrifying ordeal during a trip to the beach in the resort of Carolina.

While in the sea and close to the shore, Eleonora was bitten by a shark and subsequently rushed to hospital. 

‘Little mermaid from Sardinia 1 baby shark from Puerto Rico 0,’ she wrote on Instagram.

The pregnant wife of a former NBA star detailed the horrifying ordeal that saw her bitten by a shark in Puerto Rico

Danilo Gallinari joined Puerto Rican team Vaqueros de Bayamon earlier this year after a 16-year stint in the NBA

But it was in his new home that Gallinari’s wife, 39-year-old Eleonora Boi, was bitten by a shark

‘It was the worst day of my life, maybe my grandmother Nella was right when she said “su mari esti traitori”. 

‘I never thought I could be attacked by a shark, especially while I was close to the shore and on a super crowded beach.’

Eleonora added that she was forced to undergo surgery following the bite but ᴀssured fans that both her and her baby are OK. 

She continued: ‘Fortunately, my baby and I are fine, I was rescued promptly and the surgery to put my poor bitten leg back in place went well. 

‘Now I just have to recover from the huge scare and try to forgive the great friend who betrayed me.

‘Regarding the shark, you will soon hear from my lawyers.

‘I thank you all for the great affection and I thank you for worrying about us with a message or a prayer. I thank my husband who, despite marrying Fantozzi-Boi, gave me all his love and so much courage. 

‘Today he even escaped the Bad Bunny concert, but he mustn’t get his hopes up, it’s only for a short time.’

Eleonora revealed both her and her baby are OK following a stint in the hospital

She also joked that the shark would be ‘hearing from my lawyers’ following the attack

Danilo’s brother Federico Gallinari sent his well-wishes to Eleonora in the comments: ‘Go Ele, we’ve already caught the shark, I’ll take care of it.’

Gallinari, born on August 8, 1988, in Sant’Angelo Lodigiano, Italy, began his professional journey in Italy before making the leap to the NBA.

Read MoreBREAKING NEWS Wife of former NBA player Danilo Gallinari bitten by shark in Puerto Rico

He was selected sixth overall in the 2008 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks, where he played for two and a half seasons.

In 2011, he was traded to the Denver Nuggets as part of a blockbuster deal.

Over 16 seasons in the NBA, the forward suited up for multiple teams, including the Los Angeles Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Atlanta Hawks, Washington Wizards, and most recently, the Detroit Pistons.

His move to the BSN marks the first time Gallinari will play professionally outside of Europe and the NBA since his early years in Italy.