LOS ANGELES – A promising Los Angeles high school basketball player, Alijah Arenas, who is set to join the University of Southern California’s basketball team next season, was involved in an accident early Thursday morning, according to the university.
The Los Angeles Police Department reported that officers arrived at the scene shortly before 5 a.m. after a single-vehicle crash in the Reseda area of the San Fernando Valley. The Los Angeles Fire Department indicated that the vehicle involved was a Tesla Cybertruck that collided with a tree.
Authorities confirmed that an 18-year-old male was transported to a hospital in stable condition but did not release the driver’s identity. However, multiple media outlets, including the Los Angeles Times and ESPN, have reported that Alijah Arenas was involved in the incident, attributing this information to anonymous sources.
Eric Musselman, the USC men’s basketball coach, expressed his concern in a statement on social media, saying, “Our thoughts and prayers are with Alijah and his family following this morning’s accident. Please keep him, his teammates and friends, and the entire Arenas family in your prayers.”
Alijah Arenas is the son of former NBA star Gilbert Arenas. He is currently attending Chatsworth High School in Los Angeles, where he has displayed remarkable talent, leading his team in the Division II state championships this year and achieving a milestone as the first high school boys basketball player in the Los Angeles area to amass 3,000 career points.
Moreover, Alijah was among the elite 48 players chosen to participate in the prestigious McDonald’s All-American Games in April, an event highlighting the nation’s top high school basketball talent.
In response to the accident, Alijah’s mother, Laura Govan, reached out on social media, requesting prayers for her son. Additionally, Gilbert Arenas decided to cancel his online talk show scheduled for Thursday.