Top USC Recruit Alijah Arenas in Medically Induced Coma After Serious Car Accident

He's the son of ex-NBA guard Gilbert Arenas.

Alijah Arenas poses at a photoshoot in New York. / Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

USC commit Alijah Arenas has been placed in a medically induced coma after being involved in a serious car accident, according to a Thursday afternoon report from Shams Charania of ESPN.

Per Charania—who cited a Los Angeles Fire Department public information officer—the department responded to a 4:55 a.m. call that identified a Tesla Cybertruck which had crashed into a tree and fire hydrant. Arenas, who LAFD declined to identify, "was transported to the hospital in serious condition" per Charania—though he reportedly suffered no broken bones.

Ryan Kartje of The Los Angeles Times later cited LAPD in reporting that the department viewed the accident as a "loss of control" and a hazardous materials team had responded to the fire.

Arenas, 18, is one of the most highly touted recruits in this year's college basketball recruiting class; he had originally been slated to graduate in the class of 2026 before reclassifying.

He turned down offers from numerous other big-name programs—Arizona, Kansas, Kentucky and Louisville—in order to play for the Trojans, giving them his commitment on Jan. 30.

In 2025, he was selected to play in the McDonald's All-American Game. The Oakland native–who played his high school basketball at Chatsworth High School in Los Angeles—scored 11 points in the annual showcase.

Arenas is the son of Gilbert Arenas, an accomplished former guard for Arizona and four NBA teams; Gilbert made three All-Star appearances for the Washington Wizards in the 2000s.

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