This year has been a rollercoaster for Gilbert Arenas’ son, Alijah. Back in January, in classic Arenas style, live on Gil’s Arena, the five-star guard announced his commitment to USC, FaceTiming his coach and saying, “It felt like the best fit… seeing what USC was like, it made me feel special.” The moment went viral, but by July the excitement hit a wall when Alijah suffered a meniscus tear that sidelined him for 6–8 months, forcing him to hit pause on his freshman-year dreams. A tough blow, no doubt, but word is he’s healing up nicely.

Overtime shared a clip—thanks to USC Athletics—of Alijah Arenas back on the court, shooting hoops while riding a tiny three-wheeled cart. The 6-foot-6 Chatsworth High guard, a McDonald’s All-American and No. 13 ESPN recruit, had racked up over 3,000 points in just three seasons, breaking the CIF LA City Section record. He was set to join USC’s perimeter with transfers Rodney Rice and Chad Baker-Mazara, but that meniscus injury put everything on hold. Now practicing again, the question is whether he’ll actually suit up this season.

“Alijah is a tremendous worker, teammate, competitor, and person,” USC coach Eric Musselman had previously said in the statement. “He is understandably disappointed that he will not be able to take the court to start the season, but his health is our No. 1 priority. We have no doubt that he will come back even stronger. We look forward to supporting him during this process.”

Hence, the shootaround on the wheelchair obviously does not mean he is going to be back any sooner. Alijah was sidelined back in July and is only expected to recover by the end of the year, or beyond.

Earlier, Arenas had just returned to practice after surviving a scary April car crash. He lost control of his Tesla Cybertruck and slammed into a tree, and the vehicle caught fire. The keypad and steering wheel reportedly failed, but Arenas smashed the driver’s side window and escaped with help from bystanders. He was hospitalized, put into an induced coma due to smoke inhalation, and thankfully released in under a week with no major injuries. It was a close call, but he walked away.

Meanwhile, the 18-year-old has consistently shown the kind of potential his father has consistently raved about. “Looks like the Trojans just got a walking bucket raised by one of the NBA’s most fearless scorers,” Gilbert had posted on Instagram when his son initially made the announcement of joining the USC Trojans. And the performances have also been exemplary.

Whether it was a 53-point, 11-rebound monster night to push his team into the Southern California regional final, or casually dropping 30.4 points, 7.4 boards, 4 assists, and 2.1 steals a game this season, Alijah Arenas was the guy everyone watched. But it wasn’t just the stats—he became the first LA City Section player since 2009 to earn McDonald’s All-American honors, scored 3,002 career points (only the 14th player in California history to hit that mark), and earned accolades like Sports Illustrated’s All-CIF SoCal Offensive Player of the Year and a spot on the 2025 All-California CIF State boys basketball team. Even in the McDonald’s game, he chipped in 11 points and hit a couple of threes as Team West claimed the win. Scouts are already eyeing him as a potential first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Alijah isn’t just about scoring, though. In a chat with Forbes, he admitted, “It’s scoring… But I’ve actually thought about that and I really want to change that. I don’t want it to just be scoring. I want it to be many other things.” And while we wait to see that next phase on the court, there’s no doubt he’s getting serious preparation—his dad, Gilbert Arenas, is right there behind him, pushing him hard and making sure he’s ready for whatever comes next.

Inside Alijah Arenas’ training with Gilbert

Gilbert Arenas knows the pressure of the NBA—packed arenas, buzzer-beaters—but nothing prepared him for the fear of nearly losing his son. Reflecting on Alijah’s terrifying April 2025 car crash, he admitted, “My son could’ve died.” That moment was a wake-up call. Having spent 11 years bouncing in and out of home life for basketball—he says he missed 19 to 20 of Alijah’s years—Gilbert is now fully committed, dedicating his energy to training his son like a pro. “When you’re ready to be trained by me, just understand that I’m training you like a pro,” he warned, making it clear this isn’t casual father-son hoops.

Being both a father and a coach is complicated, and Gilbert draws a sharp line between the two roles. On the Catch12 podcast, he explained that “coach and father can’t coexist at the same time. Right. I can’t be both.” Once the game starts, he’s cheering, not coaching. He wants Alijah to experience real accountability without confusion: the drills, the discipline, and the tough love happen in practice, and when it’s game time, he steps back. This approach prevents emotional whiplash, ensuring his son learns the difference between guidance and support.

The grind starts early and hits hard. Gilbert has Alijah firing up hundreds of shots before school every day. “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 explained. Miss that workout, and that’s on Alijah. Gilbert switches roles seamlessly—coach off, father on—so his son experiences both tough discipline and unconditional support. For him, it’s about instilling discipline, clarity, and a relentless work ethic while teaching Alijah what chasing greatness truly looks like.