Did you know that Matt Barnes and a 3x NBA All-Star are technically family? That’s right, the two former NBA stars were once married to sisters, Laura and Gloria Govan. Their marriages may not have lasted, but their bond remains solid, thanks to their shared basketball roots. But then why would this legend still not want his son to play with Barnes’ sons? Well, the former Golden State Warriors star has a firm logic behind his choice.

The former Arizona Wildcats player strongly believes that for a young player to truly grow, they need to experience the game independently. In his words:

“When you get put on a team by yourself, you have to do everything… You have to defend, you have to bring the ball up, you have to stop the best player, you have to break the press, you have to hit seven, ten… shots in a row. You’re gonna lose making turnovers and all of that stuff. So you’re building a, you’re building a super Superman.”

Gilbert Arenas wants his son to develop every skill on his own rather than relying on teammates. At the same time, Arenas believes if his son was to play around his cousins -Matt Barnes’ kids – then he’d know what his brothers are good at and he’d unload his arsenal with that aspect of the game because he does not need it.

And looking at the numbers, it’s hard to argue with his logic. Alijah Arenas has been putting up an insane 31.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals per game. That kind of dominance has landed him among the top 10 players in the Class of 2025, according to 247 Sports.

“Everybody has their own road. Everybody’s road is different… You just gotta run your race,” Arenas said. It’s an interesting approach, one that  Matt Barnes may not have fully agreed with at first. But with Alijah thriving, it’s safe to say Arenas knew exactly what he was doing, and even Barnes agrees.

Matt Barnes cheered for Alijah Arenas’ recent dominating performance

Alijah Arenas has been on fire and has been showing no signs of cooling down. Case in point: his jaw-dropping 63-point explosion against the Sylmar Spartans this month. Simply, a masterpiece. And if that wasn’t impressive enough, this marked his 55th straight game with at least 15 points. The consistency, the dominance, the sheer scoring ability, Alijah is putting on a show. And we, as basketball fans, couldn’t be more excited about the 18-year-old’s development.

Watching it all unfold, his proud uncle Matt Barnes couldn’t hold back his excitement. He took to Instagram to celebrate the moment, writing, “Nasty work lil bro @alijah0arenas.” It’s been one highlight after another for Alijah. Just last game, he put up 30 points and 10 rebounds in a double-double performance against Cleveland.

And let’s not forget, Barnes has been hyping him up all season. When Alijah dropped 56 points at The Classic at Damien, his uncle made it clear: “Easy work.” At this rate, the sky’s the limit for Alijah. So there is no doubt that the decision that Gilbert Arenas took for his kids paid off. As Alijah continues to excel, his journey serves as a testament to the effectiveness of his father’s unconventional yet impactful mentorship.