“When you’re ready to be trained by me, just understand that I’m training you like a pro.” Gilbert Arenas wasn’t just talking tough on Podcast P last year—he meant every word. The former NBA All-Star revealed he had his son, Alijah, firing up 400 shots before school each day. And now, that relentless grind has paid off in a big way.

The five-star shooting guard had blue-blood programs lining up—Kansas, Arizona, and more all wanted him. But on Monday, the decision was made: Alijah Arenas is staying in L.A., committing to USC. Looks like the Trojans just got a walking bucket raised by one of the NBA’s most fearless scorers.

Alijah Arenas, who reclassified to the 2025 class, is now ranked No. 10 by 247Sports—and schools like Kansas, Kentucky, and Arizona took notice. Standing 6’6″, he torched the season with 31.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game, earning McDonald’s All-American honors—the first from the LA City Section since 2009. But behind the rise was Gilbert Arenas, switching hats between proud dad and relentless coach.

Gilbert Arenas kept it all the way real when talking about the struggle of being both a father and a coach on the Catch12 podcast, speaking to Ja Morant’s father, Tee Morant. “I learned early coach and father can’t coexist at the same time. Right. I can’t be both.” And he meant it. Once the game starts, he says, he’s not coaching—he’s cheering. “Once the game starts, I’m your father. I’m just there to support. Watch the game. Cheer. Don’t f—– look over here.” It’s the kind of honest truth only a former NBA player-turned-dad can deliver, because when his kid’s getting yelled at by a coach and looking to dad for backup, Gilbert’s like: “That ain’t my job.”

And let’s be real, he knows the emotional whiplash it creates when a father becomes the one barking orders—especially when you turn the ball over. And that’s why Gilbert set the boundaries early. “If I say practice at four o’clock in the morning, practice at four o’clock in the morning… I can’t love this s— for you.” He breaks it down simply: when he’s the trainer, he’s the trainer. No excuses. No complaining. And if you miss that 4 a.m. wake-up? “You ain’t got to worry about me getting mad cuz I’m back to father now.” That missed workout? That’s on you. “I’m taking one hat off, putting another one on.” For Gilbert, it’s about discipline, clarity, and teaching his son what it really means to want greatness, and that’s what the grind looks like.

Well, Gilbert Arenas isn’t the only one juggling legacy and ambition. The class of 2025 is stacked with rising stars like Bryce James, son of LeBron James, and Kiyan Anthony, son of Carmelo Anthony—each carving their own paths while honoring their iconic fathers. Kiyan is headed to Syracuse, just like Melo once did, and Bryce recently signed with the Arizona Wildcats. Now, with Alijah Arenas committing to USC, all three fathers find themselves in the same boat—and could probably use a little of that hard-earned Gil wisdom only an NBA dad truly gets.

Alijah Arenas’ painful confession about the crash that nearly killed him

Gilbert Arenas has lived through the pressure of packed arenas and buzzer-beater moments—but nothing prepared him for the fear of almost losing his son. “My son could’ve died,” Gilbert said, reflecting on the terrifying car crash that shook his family in April 2025. As a father who spent 11 years in the NBA, Gilbert opened up about how that life kept him away from home. “I missed 19 to 20 of his life. You know how we are as parents. We’re in, we’re out, we’re in, we’re out.” It was a gut punch no championship or career could prepare him for. And now, months later, his son Alijah is bravely speaking out about the accident that left him fighting for his life.

In a candid interview on June 24, Alijah recalled the nightmare that unfolded after a late-night workout on April 24. He said his Cybertruck started acting up the moment he left the gym. “Me going on the way to my house, the car didn’t really register that I was in there,” he said to the PEOPLE. “So even to this day, the car app still says I’m at the gym.” Things got worse—the keypad flickered, lights shut off on their own, and then, the steering gave out. “I switched lanes without meaning to, and I knew something was wrong. And next thing you know, I can’t get back to the left lane.” In a split second, everything spiraled. “I can’t stop. The wheel wasn’t responding to me as if I wasn’t in the car,” Alijah said. He hit a curb, blacked out for three minutes, and woke up to his car on fire.

What happened next was pure survival instinct. “I went into panic mode, instinctively, checked my surroundings,” he said. “I couldn’t see outside the car because of all the fog.” He fainted several times trying to escape, until two good Samaritans pulled him out through a window. Even after surviving the unthinkable, Alijah refused to point fingers. “Honestly, I take full responsibility for the crash, whether it was me, another car, a malfunction,” he said. “I don’t want to put anyone else in this situation, the people who made the car, anything like that. I take full responsibility.” After coming out of a medically induced coma and a long recovery, Alijah is now healthy and all set for his USC journey.