Alijah Arenas home safely after tragic Cybertruck accident caused induced coma

Gilbert Arenas' son Alijah Arenas suffered a close shave with death and is now home safe after a spell in the ICU.

Alijah Arenas home safely after tragic Cybertruck accident caused induced coma

Alijah Arenas

The basketball world has been anxiously waiting for positive news about Alijah Arenas after his recent untimely accident. The star basketball recruit was discharged after spending six nights in the hospital battling his wounds.

Arenas, the son of NBA analyst and former All-Star Gilbert Arenas, suffered a car crash during the early hours of April 24th. According to reports by TMZ, Arenas was driving a Cybertruck in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley. His accident was caused by crashing into a fire hydrant.

His vehicle wound up stopping after hitting a tree close by. An alert neighbor came quickly to Arenas’ rescue, helping to pull him out of the Tesla vehicle, which was on fire at that point. The 18-year-old had removed his shirt and shoes when he was extricated from his Cybertruck, clearly attempting to handle the fire.

Reports say the vehicle, like other Cybertrucks, had malfunctioned and locked its passengers in. He suffered bad burns and was writhing in pain after exiting his vehicle. Arenas was put into an induced coma and was in intensive care. The youngster had inhaled a lot of smoke while trapped inside his vehicle.

Luckily for the Arenas family, Alijah did not suffer any bone damage and can expect to resume basketball activities soon. The Gil’s Arena podcast, which Gilbert Arenas hosts, has been put on hold during the intervening period. Gilbert Arenas and his ex-wife Laura Govan went through a tortuous period when their son was first hospitalized.

Both of them had posted messages requesting public support and prayers for Alijah on the day of his accident. Speaking to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Arenas family posted the following statement:

We are grateful to share that Alijah Arenas has been released from the hospital and is now resting comfortably under close watch. While his journey to full recovery is just beginning, his spirit remains strong, and he is surrounded by love and support.
“The Govan and Arenas family are preparing for the road ahead with faith and determination, committed to nurturing Alijah back to 100%. He remains blessed, resilient, and in high spirits.

The Arenas family’s statement reads

This makes Alijah Arenas the third USC basketball recruit to suffer a traumatic health issue in the last few years. Bronny James and Vincent Iwuchukwu were two other USC recruits who’ve both suffered cardiac health issues recently.

Alijah Arenas is among the best players in his high school class

Alijah Arenas was a shooting guard in high school play and was ranked no. 1 at his position in his recruiting class. Arenas is expected to lead the USC offense to new heights as a freshman. He is currently being mocked as the No. 7 player in the 2026 NBA Draft. His 6’7″ frame will allow him to be a versatile player in NBA offenses in the future.

Arenas has shown out in past scrimmages with the likes of Kevin Durant, Moses Moody, Naz Reid and Ryan Dunn. He got buckets against all of them in 1v1 settings, using his length and smooth shooting stroke. His wiry frame will inevitably draw him comparisons to the likes of Durant and Tracy McGrady.

Arenas’ shooting prowess seems to be his most NBA-ready attribute. He also has the ability to generate separation and create pull-up jumpers for himself in isolation. It remains to be seen how much his ball-handling and frame can improve during his year with USC.