'I’ll Be on the First Ship Out': Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Reveals Plan for NBA Career

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Rowan Fisher-Shotton | Last updated Oct 13, 2025 6:23 PM ET

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t open his recent GQ interview with a retirement announcement, but it soon became the topic of discussion.

The 27-year-old Oklahoma City Thunder guard finished the 2024–25 season as the NBA’s leading scorer (32.7 PPG) and captured the Kia NBA MVP, then added a Finals MVP while leading the Thunder to the franchise’s first championship.

Those marks (regular-season MVP, scoring title, Finals MVP and a ring) form the backbone of the case that SGA is already among the league’s elite.

But buried in GQ’s profile was a blunt line about the arc he plans for his career. Asked whether he could play until 40 like some NBA veterans, Gilgeous-Alexander said he "definitely think[s] I can," then added without hesitation, "I won’t, though. A hundred percent."

He explained that he doesn’t want to "miss that much of my kid’s life," listing first games, piano lessons and other milestones he expects to prioritize once he reaches his peak and notices decline.

"There’s a certain point in your career where you reach your peak. I don’t fault guys for still playing. They love the game," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "But I just feel like I play this game, ultimately, to see what the best version of me can be. Once I figure that out and I start going down, then it’s like, 'Okay, well, what am I playing for now?' As soon as that happens, I’ll be on the first ship out."

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Players who extended careers into their 40s (and the precedent SGA was asked about) are few and far between.

LeBron James — still playing at 40 and the oldest active player — remains this era’s prime example. He is about to enter his record 23rd NBA season and just earned second-team All-NBA honors last year after averaging 24.4 points, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds in 34.9 minutes across 70 games.

Other notable names who played past 40 include Vince Carter (43 at retirement), Robert Parish (43), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (42), John Stockton (41) and Dirk Nowitzki (40).

With several Hall-of-Famers and role veterans populating that list, it’s rare for a 27-year-old star in his prime to commit publicly to leaving before 40.

SGA’s MVP season came with all-around efficiency (32.7 PPG, 6.4 APG, 5.0 RPG; 1.7 SPG; 51.9 FG%). He signed a record extension with Oklahoma City in July and is widely considered the face of the franchise and a rising face of the league.

Those accomplishments explain why an offhand remark about retirement, as minuscule as it may seem, registers as news.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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