Mike Muscala might be the newest member of the Boston Celtics, however, there is some locker-room familiarity.
Muscala, who was acquired by the Celtics from the Thunder in exchange for Justin Jackson and two second-round picks, had spent the last four seasons in Oklahoma City.
And along that ride, the 31-year-old crossed paths with now-fellow Celtics teammate Al Horford. The two also spent time together on the Atlanta Hawks earlier in their careers as well.
During the 2020-21 season, Muscala and Horford were teammates on the Thunder, and while it’d be a short-lived stint of 28 games for Horford, it’s clear that the five-time All-Star served as an impactful teammate in OKC.
“It was great,” Muscala told reporters Friday, per CLNS Media. “… I came in there when I was young. So, just learning from him, seeing his work ethic, his consistency. Just being a great leader. Being so consistent. So it’s really great to have a familiar face in him and be back playing with him.”
With the Celtics, Muscala is looking forward to the chance to play for a league-best (39-16) NBA Finals contender.
“Definitely just grateful for the opportunity here, be part of a great team and here in Boston heard so many great things about the city,” Muscala said. “So I’m excited to get to know the city more, get to know the fans and just go play some ball. Just trying to stay in the moment. Obviously, a lot of work to be done so just trying to take it as it comes and stay focused.”
With the Thunder, Muscala averaged 6.2 points and 3.1 rebounds while draining 39.4% of 3-point attempts through 43 games played. Among all centers in the NBA this season, Muscala ranks third in 3-point percentage, a category that Horford (41.7%) leads entering Friday night’s game against the Charlotte Hornets at TD Garden.
Muscala also revealed that he’d met with Celtics interim head coach Joe Mazzulla for some on-court strategy talk.
“Had little film sessions with coach,” Muscala said. “And just kind of talked about some offense, defense. I’m just looking forward to learning. Just kind of getting in with the mix, just going with the flow and seeing what I can bring.”
Muscala added: “I just wanna win.”
