Final fours to family-first: McCarron's fond farewell

After 270 NBL games and a professional career spanning nearly a decade, Mitch McCarron will walk away from the game, leaving behind more than just a champion legacy.

While his resume consists of championships all around the world, including Slovenia, Spain and in the NBL, the 32-year-old has given so much more to the game in Australia than just on court success, as part of the board for the Australian Basketball Players’ Association.

But for now, he announces his retirement as a decision that he believes is the right one at this point in his life.

“For me, it’s a decision about my body and, I guess, the pain levels and the injuries I’ve tried to play through over the last couple of years,” he said.

“It’s gotten to a point where I just feel like I need to make a decision for the future - rather than the right now or the next 12 months. I just want to feel good about myself. I want to be able to run around with my kids, and I need to get on top of these injuries.”

McCarron attended the Australian Institute of Sport in 2010 and admits that playing basketball at the professional level was never on his mind.

“I did not think I would be a professional. I had one college scholarship offer on the table and it was Metro State and it turned into gold,” he said.

“I'm extremely grateful for that. At the time I'm sitting there and I'm like, you know what, I've got one offer, so I'm going to go throw everything at it ... if it doesn't work out, you know, I gave it my best. Like that was my mentality truly.

“And then it's turned into a 10 year pro career. So, you know, I have to go back to that point and be like, man, I've had some experiences that I never thought I would have had.”

McCarron played two seasons with the Cairns Taipans from 2016-2018.

That incredibly successful collegiate career helped put McCarron on the radar of professional teams, after he was named the Division 2 National Player of the Year in 2015. 

McCarron played a key role in helping his Metro State Roadrunners feature in back-to-back Final Fours.

“It's hard to go past lifting a trophy,” he said reflecting on the highs of his career.

“Anytime you do that, that's why you play. Especially as you get a little bit older, it's like it's all you want.”

While his NBL Career took him from beginning in Cairns in 2016, to Melbourne in 2018, Adelaide in 2021 and then New Zealand last season, McCarron has been no stranger to wearing a green and gold singlet during many key FIBA windows.

“I never played in an Olympics or a World Cup, but just to put on the green and gold at any point was more than I ever thought I'd do,” he said.

“Anytime you put on the green and gold is special.

“I would go out there to try win games for Australia and help the country qualify to the tournaments that I used to love watching us play in growing up. 

“I just wanted our country to do well and I'm grateful that I've been a part of that.”

As McCarron leaves this part of his life behind him, his focus now is a simple one – his wife and two children.

“It’s one thing to do these journeys on your own and go to new places, move to new cities all the time and it can be challenging. You have highs and lows,” he added.

“To have Abby there as a supporter and as someone who could understand it from an athletes perspective, someone to stand up for me behind the scenes when I was having a bad day ... she’s always been there.

“I’m incredibly grateful for her.

“We talk about kids, when you come home from practice and they don’t care about anything… they don’t care if you had a bad game or a bad practice, they just want you and the best of you. And that’s what I want to give.”

Mitch McCarron NBL fact file
Playing tenure: 2016-2015
Games played: 270
Finals games: 17
Teams: Cairns Taipans (2016-2018), Melbourne United (2018-2021), Adelaide 36ers (2021-2024), New Zealand Breakers (2024-2025)
NBL Champion: 2021
All-NBL Second Team: 2021

Points average: 8.2
Assists average: 3.2
Steals average: 1.1