After a horrible car accident, Gilbert Arenas shares emotional details about his son Alijah's recovery and his hero.
Sometimes the game stops. When ranking and recruiting buzz radiates into the background, it is important to breathe, heartbeat, and the sound of the father running towards his son. Gilbert Arenas lived that moment about two weeks ago.
His son Alijah is a five-star recruit who is a 16-year-old USC dream who falls into a medically induced coma after a horrible car accident. Former NBA All-Stars can only watch, wait and hope. Then, the story changes. From silence, breathe. From fear, a second chance.
The worst morning for my father
It starts like any other morning in the arena home – early and routine. Always on guard, Gilbert opened the Tesla app to check the location of Alijah. The gym said. all is well. But then his daughter walked in and the world was changing.
“Didn't you hear it?” she asked.
No parents want to hear these words. Not at 4:30 am.
Gilbert Arenas shared the latest news about his son, 5-star USC Alijah Arenas after a car accident 2 weeks ago. pic.twitter.com/o9lezv5cgl
— Dan Patrick performance (@dpshow) May 6, 2025
Gilbert rushed into the hospital and asked his mind, panicking in his chest. Is it his car? Even Aria? The app misled him. The gym is incorrect. In fact, Alijah is in a coma and is trapped in his chaotic Tesla Cybertruck when he bent over, hits a fire hydrant and bumps into a tree.
Gilbert Arenas talks with Dan Patrick about son Alijah's car accident
His injuries were invisible – his limbs were not broken, and he had no burns. But the smoke, sinister and silent, had already filled the cabin and Aria sucked it in for nearly 10 minutes. He is still alive, but he is trying to breathe. The doctor placed him in a medically induced coma to stabilize him and allow his lungs to heal. Gilbert was helpless but hopeful, waiting beside his son.
This was the longest waiting in his life. Then, slowly, Aria began to wake up.
Angel on the roadside
Not only did Aria save machines and medicines. It's a stranger – or “angel” as Gilbert calls it.
In the early morning, a small group of bystanders heard about the crash. They could have been lying in the bed to remove noise. But they didn't. They followed the sound and discovered the devastating scene. With its futuristic design, Cybertruck does not offer traditional door handles. There is nothing we can do, its door cannot be opened from outside.
But somehow, the bystanders arrived at Aria. They pulled him out of the wreckage. They gave him a chance, before first responders arrived.
Gilbert remained in awe. “Fortunately for him, I was stuck in the car for so long, and fortunately someone heard it,” he said.
Aria lost her direction and fought. His power–making him the highest recruiting power–has made him awake. The doctor calmed him to protect him and cure smoke damage to help his lungs.
But without those early heroes, Gilbert knew the results might be very different. In the moment when it is possible to end everything, human beings are human beings – fast, quiet, selfless – making everything different.
Laughs marking recovery
Recovery can take many forms. For Aria, it's not a step or breath that marks hope – it's a joke.
Alijah lies in a hospital under the UCLA medical umbrella, smiles and tells his father: “Tell Moose, I'm sorry, I'm at UCLA.” Humor. Present. A teenager's essence returns to himself.
For Gilbert, that laugh is everything.
Kids forget these days that Gilbert Stadium is actually good in the league and not just fun on social media pic.twitter.com/jefedortdt
— John (@iam_johnw) April 8, 2020
Gilbert Arenas talks with Dan Patrick about son Alijah's car accident
Alia just finished his junior year at Chatsworth High School. The 6-foot-6 defender is one of the country's most coveted prospects, recruited by blue blood like Kentucky and Kansas before choosing to stay home with USC. His future was eliminated – the dream of the court, the bright lights, the national stage.
However, none of these are more important than a single breath. More than waking up. Bi is joking with dad.
He will return to basketball – now seems certain. The body is healing. The Holy Spirit will never leave. But the ranking of his competitors or his commitment status is not. This is a reminder that life is fragile despite all promises. Sometimes, ranking fourth in the country is much more important than being able to look into the eyes and smile in the father.
