Alijah Arenas, son of former NBA star Gilbert Arenas, has awoken from his medically induced coma. Arenas had crashed his Tesla Cybertruck into a tree/fire hydrant in the early hours of Thursday, and his family has now released a statement revealing the teenager has made significant progress in his recovery.
“In a remarkable and hopeful development, Alijah Arenas has come out of his coma and has shown significant signs of progress within the last 24 hours,” the statement read. “In a powerful and emotional moment, Alijah opened his eyes and was able to write on a piece of paper that he remembered the smoke and asked, ‘Did anyone get hurt?'”
There has been no word regarding any injuries sustained by anyone other than Alijah in the accident. While the 18-year-old is out of his coma, he remains intubated.
The Arenas family is thrilled by the progress Alijah has made and is thankful to everyone who has sent prayers and love since the accident. They are also grateful to all those who might well have saved the USC recruit’s life. An account of the events from one who helped rescue Alijah from the burning vehicle was also shared in the statement.
“I remember hearing banging on the car window, but I couldn’t see anything because the smoke was so thick,” the individual said. “That’s when I realized someone was inside. I tried to break the window, but it wouldn’t give. Then I saw one of the windows was cracked just enough and we used everything we had to bend it and pull him out. The car was on fire. We just knew we had to get him out.”
The Arenas family also thanked the medical professionals who have provided exceptional care to Alijah. More updates on his condition will be shared as he heals.
Alijah, born in Oakland, California, to Gilbert Arenas and his former partner, Laura Govan, had risen to prominence during his time at Chatsworth High School. The 6’6″ guard averaged 30.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game in three seasons and was rated a five-star recruit.
Alijah committed to USC in January 2025, over offers from Arizona, Kansas, Kentucky, and Louisville. On April 1, he played in the McDonald’s All-American Boys Game, scoring 11 points.
Alijah has been hoping to follow in his father Gilbert’s footsteps. The older Arenas spent 11 seasons in the NBA, during which he made three All-Star teams.
