Former Atlanta Hawks big man announces retirement after 11-year career

After 11 seasons of NBA basketball, former Atlanta Hawks big man Mike Muscala announced his retirement, per OKC Thunder beat writer Joel Lorenzi. Muscala spent the first five years of his career with the Hawks after they traded for him on draft night in 2013.

During his time in Atlanta, “Moose” became a fan favorite. He played in 243 contests with 18 total starts, shooting 37.8% from three and 44.1% as a starter. Muscala shot a subpar 31.3% from three in college, but he eventually grew into one of the league’s most accurate 3-point shooters. Muscala shot 40.0% or better from three in two of his five seasons with the Hawks.

Muscala played for seven different teams, but he was most known for his time with the Hawks and the Thunder. He finished his career with OKC, but his return only lasted a few months. The Thunder added Muscala from the buyout market this past March, and the veteran sharpshooter played 16 games for them to end both the 2023-24 season and an 11-year career.

Many fans associate Muscala with the mid-2010s Hawks teams, including the 2014-15 squad that won 60 games and made the Eastern Conference Finals. Musky was a young player who could shoot the lights out, and he gave the Hawks solid minutes as their stretch four off the bench.

Muscala eventually left the Hawks in the 2018-19 season, moving onto brief stints with the Philadelphia Sixers and the Los Angeles Lakers before his prime years with the Thunder. In his second season with OKC, Muscala averaged a career-best 9.7 points in 18.4 minutes per game.

During his career, Muscala earned close to $30 million. He played in the postseason six times with three different teams, and he had a fantastic college basketball career at Bucknell University. In his senior year of college, Muscala averaged 18.7 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks on 50.9% shooting.

Mike Muscala is part of Hawks history

Despite his strong connection with the Hawks, Muscala actually dropped his career high in scoring against Atlanta. The Boston Celtics acquired Muscala in a trade during the 2022-23 season, and the big man fit right in. In the twilight of his career, Moose let loose for 27 points in Boston’s regular-season finale. He shot 9-of-13 from the field and beat his former team by six points.

As diehard Hawks fans know, Muscala was universally beloved. Teammates, coaches, and fans all appreciated Musky no matter where he was playing.

Former Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer coached Muscala for the entirety of his Hawks tenure. Coach Bud had some high praise for Muscala in a press conference from the 2022-23 season.

"Great person. Musky is one of the all-time greats, favorites. His teammates are gonna love him, the coaches will love him ... Then as a player, he's a very, very good shooter. Can play behind the 3-point line as a big. Very smart and wise in how he protects the rim, understands everything defensively and can move his feet."

- Mike Budenholzer

Muscala should take serious pride in a long and successful NBA career as he leaves professional basketball. True Hawks fans will always cherish Muscala’s time with the organization.