Alijah Arenas continues to make strides in his recovery after he was involved in a serious car accident last week.
Arenas, the 18-year-old son of former NBA star Gilbert Arenas, crashed his Cybertruck in the Los Angeles, Calif., area early Thursday morning. The car crashed into a fire hydrant and slammed into a tree before catching fire. Arenas, who was the driver, had to be rescued from the vehicle.
Arenas was transported to a local hospital and placed into a medically inducted coma as a precaution for smoke inhalation. On Friday, the Arenas family shared that Alijah was out of his coma and intubated but had shown “significant signs of progress.”
Josiah Johnson, a co-host and producer of Gilbert’s show “Gil’s Arena,” provided another update on Monday. He said Alijah has continued to trend in the right direction and should be out of the hospital “very soon.”
“Happy to announce that Alijah is doing much better,” Johnson said. “I just got off the phone with Gil about five minutes ago. Alijah’s doing better walking, talking, progressing very well. He should be released from the hospital very soon. No major injuries as a result of the car accident.”
Josiah provides update on Alijah Arenas 🙏 pic.twitter.com/6JyxamqO83
— Gil’s Arena (@GilsArenaShow) April 28, 2025
The Los Angeles Police Department has reportedly determined that the accident was caused by excessive speed.
Some photos that circulated on social media showed Arenas’ car looking extremely mangled. The front passenger side wheel of the Cybertruck had come off, some airbags were deployed and the side windows had to be broken. There was also a video from an eyewitness that provided some perspective of the frightening scene.
Arenas is a five-star prospect and already viewed as a likely NBA player. The California prep standout had announced in January his intention to play collegiately at USC. He had also landed a high-profile endorsement deal before even starting his college career.
Arenas averaged 30.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.2 steals per game this season for Chatsworth High School in California. His prep accomplishments led to him being named as a McDonald’s All-American, and he was heavily recruited before ultimately picking the Trojans.
