Kofi Inkoom
Veteran big man Mike Muscala has decided to end his playing career, as he informed Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman. After participating in over 548 regular-season games across seven NBA teams, Muscala plans to retire.
Muscala’s father, Bob, told Lorenzi that Mike intends to pursue a graduate degree in sports management, with hopes of transitioning to a career in coaching or management within basketball.
Selected 44th overall in the 2013 draft, Muscala spent the past 11 NBA seasons with the Hawks, Sixers, Lakers, Thunder, Celtics, Wizards, and Pistons. He concluded last season with Oklahoma City, where he played parts of five different seasons.
The 33-year-old Muscala started his career with Atlanta, spending five seasons there. During the 2018/19 season, he was traded multiple times before settling in Oklahoma City for a few years. In the past year, he played for four different teams: OKC, Boston, Washington, Detroit, and finally OKC again.
Lorenzi reported that relocating so frequently took a toll on Muscala, but he appreciated ending his career with the Thunder.
“It means a lot,” Muscala said of his time with the Thunder in May. “I went through a lot in my life when I was here, just the city, the fans, the way that they support the team, what the team means to the community, those are things that I feel like I can relate to. I’ll always be a Thunder fan no matter what happens in my life.”
Muscala has career averages of 5.9 points and 3.1 rebounds in 15.0 minutes per game. The 6’10” center/forward was mainly known for his three-point shooting ability (.373% career from beyond the arc) and for being a positive presence in the locker room.
He was part of the Thunder team that made the conference semifinals last season but fell short to the Dallas Mavericks on the road.