The son of former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas, Alijah Arenas, suffered life-threatening injuries in a violent car crash in Los Angeles early Thursday morning.
The accident placed the 18-year-old basketball phenom and USC commit in critical condition and cast uncertainty over his promising future in the sport.
According to authorities, the collision occurred around 4:55 a.m. on April 24 in the 7900 block of Corbin Avenue in the Reseda neighborhood.
Arenas was behind the wheel of a Tesla Cybertruck when the vehicle slammed into a fire hydrant and a tree. First responders arrived to find the truck engulfed in flames and heavily damaged.
Emergency crews pulled Arenas from the wreckage and transported him to a nearby hospital, where he was placed in a medically induced coma due to the severity of his injuries.
As of the latest reports, he remains in serious condition.
Arenasis is widely regarded as one of the country’s top high school basketball players.
A five-star recruit, he recently reclassified to the class of 2025 and committed to play for USC, turning down offers from powerhouse programs, including Kentucky, Kansas, Arizona and Louisville.
The Chatsworth High School standout made history by becoming the first player in LA City Section history to surpass 3,000 career points in just three varsity seasons.
He also led his team to consecutive CIF State final appearances and a regional title.
Arenas was named co-City Player of the Year, earned High School SI’s SoCal Offensive Player of the Year honors and scored 11 points in the 2025 McDonald’s All-American Game.
His sudden hospitalization has stunned the basketball world, as many had pegged him as a future NBA star.