Mike Muscala’s touching text message as he retires from NBA

Mike Muscala is retiring from the NBA after 11 seasons, and a touching text message sums up the way he’s feeling as he closes the book on his playing career.

“Grateful for it all,” Muscala said via text, according to the Oklahoman.

The 33-year-old finished last season with the Oklahoma City Thunder, his second stint with the team. He averaged 1.1 points per game in 16 regular season appearances with the Thunder after also playing during the 2023-24 NBA season for the Washington Wizards and Detroit Pistons.

The Bucknell University product averaged a career-high 9.7 points per game for Oklahoma City during the 2020-21 NBA season across 35 appearances.

He made his NBA debut in the 2013-14 campaign, his first of five seasons with the Atlanta Hawks, and also played for the Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers during his career.

He averaged 5.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per outing in 548 NBA regular season games. He also appeared in 35 playoff games, averaging 2.7 points and 1.7 rebounds per contest.

According to the Oklahoman, his father said Muscala plans to attend graduate school to pursue a master’s degree in sports management, with the intention to become a basketball coach or administrator.

This past season, the up-and-coming Thunder earned the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference but then were eliminated in the second round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs by the eventual conference champion Dallas Mavericks in six games.

Earlier this offseason, the Thunder made one of the more noteworthy trades of the summer by sending Josh Giddey to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for veteran Alex Caruso. The deal reportedly was made largely because Giddey did not want to come off the bench, which was the role the Thunder had in mind for him.

Having the 30-year-old Caruso on board may help the Thunder replace some of the veteran leadership that they are losing with the departure of Muscala. Caruso is among the top role players in the league and is a two-time All-Defensive team selection.

The Thunder boast a collection of talented young players, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams. They helped Oklahoma City to a 57-25 record this past regular season that was equal to the record of the defending champion Denver Nuggets.

Muscala said he will remain a fan of the Thunder, and he certainly will be looking forward to what they can accomplish in the upcoming 2024-25 NBA season.