Alijah Arenas, son of former NBA player Gilbert Arenas and Basketball Wives star Laura Govan, is in a medically induced coma. The five-star prospect and USC commit was in a car crash early Thursday, April 24th, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Alijah was allegedly in a Tesla Cybertruck and collided with a fire hydrant before slamming into a tree. The 18-year-old lost control of the vehicle, and at this time, drugs and alcohol aren’t suspected.
The Chatsworth High School student is a leading prospect for the class of 2025 and has a bright future ahead. The soon-to-be-graduate also received offers from several schools, including Kansas and Kentucky. However, the 6-foot-6 guard committed to USC in January. Although Alijah is just getting started in his career, he’s already got some accolades to be proud of. In April, the basketball player’s outstanding high school performance earned him a spot in the McDonald’s All-American Game. The game led to a clear win–Arenas scored 11 points for his team, helping bag a 105-92 victory over the East.
Part of his success can be attributed to his father, who is dedicated to coaching him as he follows in his footsteps.
“Ain’t no days off … We get 3 [hundred or] 400 shots up before school,” Gilbert told Paul George on Podcast P. “He’s coachable … depending on what day it is in the mornings we’ll get up at like 5:30 so he [practices] an hour and a half. [He goes to school, comes home and then] works out and we got lifting right after and then we got more shooting, more dribbling.”
Gilbert Arenas and Laura Govan were in a relationship for over a decade and had four children together during that time. In addition to Alijah, who was born in March 2007, they also have Izela, born in 2005, Hamiley, born in 2009, and Aloni, born in 2011, who all play basketball.
Neither parent has made a statement about the accident yet. Sending healing energy to Alijah and hoping he’s fully restored soon!