Danilo Gallinari LOVES skiing -- but he's got $65 MILLION reasons to stay away from the slopes ... telling TMZ Sports his huge NBA contract forbids him from hitting the mountain!!
The Clippers star was leaving Delilah in WeHo when he started raving about fellow Italian Sofia Goggia's gold medal performance in alpine skiing at the Olympics ... calling her the "best skier in the world."
That's when Gallinari dropped the interesting nugget about his paperwork ... saying he's not allowed to ski because it's written in his multi-million dollar deal with the Clips.
It's not the first time we've heard of a clause like this ... In 2012, Matt Stafford told us his $41.7 million deal he signed in 2009 specified no motorcycles or skydiving.
Smart move by L.A. ... gotta keep that $65 million investment secured!!