It was an electrifying display at the Classic at Damien Friday night as Alijah Arenas dropped a jaw-dropping 56 points. The son of former NBA star Gilbert Arenas had already dazzled the crowd the day before, trading buckets with Inglewood’s Jason Crowe Jr., who set a tournament-record 55 points. But Alijah wasn’t about to let that record shine for too long. In a masterful scoring effort, he surpassed it the very next day. Yet, despite such a blazing performance, social media was less than kind, with fans surprisingly sour about the feat.

Meanwhile, the showdown between five-star junior Arenas and UC San Diego commit Uriah Tenette kept fans glued to their seats. The pair combined for an eye-popping 110 points in a gripping overtime battle. While Prescott High edged out Chatsworth in a 93-87 thriller, the spotlight remained on these two scoring machines.

Notably, Tenette forced overtime with a clutch fourth-quarter bucket, tying the game at 78. He racked up 50 points in regulation and added four more in overtime. Alijah Arenas, who had 48 points before overtime, poured in another eight during the extra period.

Adding to Gil’s son’s incredible resume, the young star has already eclipsed 2,000 career points, averaging a staggering 31.8 points per game in his first two seasons. Last year, he nearly carried his team to the state championship title, scoring 44 points in the final.

Still, despite his average of 45 points per game at the Classic, fans remain unimpressed, questioning whether his numbers truly translate to greatness or if they lack substance beyond the stats.

Alijah Arenas’ 56 points failed to impress fans

As the buzzer sounded at the Classic at Damien, social media lit up with takes on Gilbert Arenas’ son’s record-breaking 56-point performance. BR shared a highlight reel, sparking a mix of praise and trolls. One fan wrote, “Welp, guess his son is better than a bunch of y’all Hall of Famers now 😂.” Yet, others didn’t hold back, with comments like, “Bro got cooked by a junior though.”

Despite the chatter, his performance earned him college offers from Arizona, UCLA, Texas, and Kansas. Not bad for an 18-year-old who recently reclassified to the 2025 class.

However, fans couldn’t resist comparing Alijah to other NBA legends’ sons. “Him vs. Kiyan would be 🔥,” one fan suggested. Statistically, Alijah’s 31.5 PPG, 8.8 RPG, and 2.7 APG across 66 games in high school blow Kiyan Anthony’s numbers out of the water. Kiyan, Carmelo Anthony’s son, averaged 10.3 points, 2.4 assists, and 2.3 rebounds at Long Island Lutheran—ranked third nationally.

But summer proved Kiyan’s breakout stage. Competing in the AAU circuit for Team Melo, he averaged 19.6 points, scored 42 at the NBPA Top 100 camp, and consistently led scorers in major games. His shooting efficiency and poise on the court stirred conversations of his leap toward stardom.

Then there’s Bronny James, LeBron’s son, who didn’t escape the debate. While a sarcastic “Bronny is better lol” popped up in the mix, the criticism surrounding his stats hasn’t stopped him from living his dad’s dream—playing alongside him on the Lakers.

However, some fans even went far, calling Gilbert Arenas’ son “nothing special.” As one fan wrote, “He did absolutely nothing in a second-rate tournament.” Another argued, “These kids are so focused on dunking and threes, they don’t learn the fundamentals. No disrespect to Arenas, but what we’re seeing here is nothing special.” Only time will tell if Alijah silences the critics or fuels more debates.