Alijah Arenas, a basketball recruit for USC and son of former NBA star Gilbert Arenas, is expected to be released from the hospital with no major injuries following a fiery single-car crash early Thursday morning, according to a statement made on Gilbert Arenas’ podcast.
“Happy to announce that Alijah is doing much better,” Josiah Johnson, one of the hosts of “Gil’s Arena,” said during the show on Monday. “Just got off the phone with Gil … Alijah’s doing better, walking, talking, progressing very well, should be released from the hospital very soon. No major injuries as a result of the car accident.”
Johnson said Alijah Arenas, 18, was driving back from the gym when he “lost control” of the Tesla Cybertruck he was driving in the Reseda area of the San Fernando Valley. According to the L.A. Fire Department, the vehicle crashed into a tree/fire hydrant. Video obtained by TMZ shows the front of Arenas’ vehicle on fire after the crash, with two people attempting to help remove him from the truck while water sprays from a damaged fire hydrant.
Arenas was transported to a hospital and put into a medically-induced due to his inhalation of smoke. He was later taken out of the coma and his family released a statement Friday saying he was making significant progress.
An official cause for the crash has not been released.
Arenas is a son of former NBA star Gilbert Arenas. He is the No. 13-ranked recruit in the class of 2025 after reclassifying in December and committing to the Trojans in January. The five-star prospect attends Chatsworth High School in Los Angeles, helping lead the team to the final of the Division II state championships this year. With that game, Arenas became the first high school boys’ basketball player in the Los Angeles area to reach 3,000 career points.
He was also one of 48 players selected to play in the McDonald’s All American boys’ game in April, which showcases the best high school basketball players in the country.
Information from ESPN’s Shams Charania and Paolo Uggetti and The Associated Press was used in this report.
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