Fans of basketball meticulously waited and followed Alijah Arenas, capturing the spotlight as “Gilbert’s Son,” but now an NBA five-star prospect with dreams of his own. His eye-catching social media highlight clips, coupled with his commitment to USC, sealed his place among college basketball’s elite. Everything seemed to be falling into place. But on a quiet Thursday morning, something shifted, leaving the future of one of 2025’s brightest young stars hanging in uncertainty.

Alijah’s future path towards the NBA was ahead of him with a red carpet laid for him. He recently committed to the Trojans after being widely scouted by many of the top programs in the country. Alijah put together a stellar career at Chatsworth. It pushed him up to the No. 4 spot in the 2026 class prior to his decision earlier in the winter to move up to the 2025 class. It was all said and done when tragedy struck the youngster.

Alijah was involved in a serious car crash on Thursday in his Tesla Cybertruck and was hospitalized and placed into an induced coma, according to  Shams Charania of ESPN. According to a Los Angeles Fire Department public information officer, the officials responded to a call very early in the morning at 4:55 a.m. The Cybertruck had crashed into a tree and was on fire. The LAFD initially did not identify the person involved but said an 18-year-old driver was out of the vehicle and that he was transported to the hospital in serious condition. ESPN has confirmed that Alijah was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries but no bones were broken according to the initial tests.

According to Tarrek Fattal, he inhaled a lot of smoke during the accident, which was cause for the induced coma, as it is the protocol after smoke inhalation.  This incident leaves a dark cloud over Alijah’s future prospects in basketball. The On3 13th best player in the nation was heading to the USC Trojans after committing to them earlier this year. Arenas had four other colleges knocking on the door, with Arizona, Kansas, Kentucky and Louisville all making offers. His high school performance earned Arenas a spot in the McDonald’s All-American Game in April. Arenas scored 11 points for the West, helping lead the team to a 105-92 victory over the East. His father, Gilbert Arenas, a 3-time NBA All-Star, watched along from his stands as his son lit up the court.

Gilbert Arenas cancels his online show after Tragic Accident

Gilbert Arenas is a famed name in the NBA; he went from being the 31st overall pick in the second round of the 2001 NBA Draft to becoming a three-time All-NBA player. Now he is a responsible father and the host of his online show, ‘Gil’s Arena,’ where he voices his opinions on the current basketball events. The former Golden State Warriors point guard made his first social media post after this incident, cancelling his show for today. He gave no further information on the incident, which is understandable.

Arenas’ show would be the last thing on his mind right now. The first priority will be his son and his health. Laura Govan, Alijah’s mother “I need all you’re (expletive) prayers,” Gova wrote on Instagram with several praying hand emojis. The situation remains critical, but the sports world has been quick to send their thoughts and prayers to Alijah Arenas and the family after the incident.