One of the brightest future stars for the USC Trojans men’s basketball team was seriously hurt in a car crash Thursday.
Alijah Arenas, a blue-chip USC commit, was hospitalized and put into a medically induced coma after the crash, according to ESPN basketball insider Shams Charania.
College basketball insider Jon Rothstein appeared to confirm the news, writing “Prayers to Alijah Arenas and his family” with a series of prayer hand emojis.
McDonald’s High School All-American Alijah Arenas poses during a photo shoot at the New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge on March 28, 2025, in Brooklyn, New York. (Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The 18-year-old Arenas is the son of former NBA star Gilbert Arenas.
While details are scarce, TMZ reports that Arenas was driving his Tesla Cybertruck in the early morning hours when he crashed somewhere in the Los Angeles area.
Officer Cervantes of the Los Angeles Police Department said a Cybertruck crashed into a fire hydrant and a tree the 7900 block of Corbin Avenue just before 5 a.m., after which an 18-year-old was hospitalized in stable condition.
Sports Illustrated reporter Tarek Fattal said it appears Arenas suffered no major bodily injuries, but “he inhaled a lot of smoke” from the burning Cybertruck, and putting a smoke inhalation victim in an induced coma is “protocol.”
The Sporting News said Arenas attended Chatsworth High School.
Nancy Fontan contributed to this report.
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