Former Atlanta Hawks great announces retirement

After 11 seasons in the NBA, former Atlanta Hawks player Mike Muscala has announced his retirement, according to OKC Thunder reporter Joel Lorenzi. Muscala spent the first five years of his career with the Hawks after they traded him on draft night in 2013.

During his time in Atlanta, “Moose” became a fan favorite. He appeared in 243 games with 18 total starts, shooting 37.8 percent from three-point range and 44.1 percent as a starter. Muscala shot 31.3 percent from three-point range in college, but he eventually became one of the most accurate three-point shooters in the league. Muscala shot 40 percent or better from three-point range in two of his five seasons with the Hawks.

Muscala played for seven different teams, but he was best known for his time with the Hawks and Thunder. He finished his career with OKC, but his return only lasted a few months. The Thunder signed Muscala on the buyout market last March, and the veteran sharpshooter played 16 games for them, ending the 2023-24 season and an 11-year career.

Many fans associate Muscala with the Hawks teams of the mid-2010s, particularly the 2014-15 team that won 60 games and reached the Eastern Conference Finals. Musky was a young player who could shoot from every angle, and he gave the Hawks plenty of minutes as a backup.

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

Over the course of his career, Muscala has earned nearly $30 million. He has made the playoffs six times with three different teams and had a fantastic college 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 percent shooting.

Despite his close ties to the Hawks, Muscala actually broke his career high in points against Atlanta. The Boston Celtics acquired Muscala in a trade during the 2022-23 season, and the big man has fit right in. In the twilight of his career, Moose scored 27 points in Boston’s final regular-season game. He shot 9-of-13 from the field and beat his former team by six points.

As die-hard Hawks fans know, Muscala was universally loved. His teammates, coaches and fans all loved Musky no matter where he played.

Former Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer coached Muscala throughout his tenure with the Hawks. Coach Bud spoke highly of Muscala during a press conference for the 2022-23 season.

“He’s a great person. Musky is one of the all-time greats, one of the favorites. His teammates are going to love him, the coaches are going to love him… As a player, he’s a very, very good shooter. He can play behind the three-point line as a big. He’s very smart and wise in the way he protects the basket, he understands everything defensively and he can move his feet.”

– Mike Budenholzer

Muscala can be proud of his long and successful NBA career as he leaves professional basketball. True Hawks fans will always cherish Muscala’s time with the organization.