Alijah Arenas, the 18-year-old son of former NBA star Gilbert Arenas, has been placed in an induced coma following a serious car crash in the San Fernando Valley early Thursday morning.
The crash, which involved a Tesla Cybertruck, was captured on video by a neighbor and shared by TMZ. The footage showed a fiery scene as Arenas’ vehicle was engulfed in flames after hitting a fire hydrant, with water spewing from the damaged hydrant.
The crash occurred just outside Arenas’ home in the Reseda area of Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles Police Department responded to the accident shortly before 5 a.m. and found Arenas outside the vehicle. He was immediately transported to a local hospital in serious condition.
Fortunately, initial reports suggest that he did not suffer any broken bones, but his condition remained serious enough for him to be placed in an induced coma as doctors worked to stabilize him.
Arenas, a five-star recruit and USC men’s basketball commit, had been one of the top prospects in high school basketball, ranking as the No. 13 recruit in the class of 2025. He had recently reclassified and committed to USC in January.
Arenas had a standout career at Chatsworth High School in Los Angeles, where he became the first high school player in the area to score over 3,000 career points. He also played in the prestigious McDonald’s All-American Games, which features the nation’s best high school basketball talent.
Following the crash, his mother, Laura Govan, took to social media to ask for prayers for her son, while his father, Gilbert Arenas, canceled his scheduled online talk show on Thursday to be with his family.
USC men’s basketball coach Eric Musselman also shared his support on social media, expressing his thoughts and prayers for Alijah and his family.
