Gilbert Arenas opens up about son Alijah's Cybertruck crash, says 5-star recruit was put in coma due to smoke

Former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas provided immoderate cardinal details from the car clang that landed his son, 5-star hoops enlistee Alijah Arenas, successful a medically induced coma past week.

Appearing connected "The Dan Patrick Show," Gilbert confirmed Alijah is "doing precise well" with nary large injuries, astir 2 weeks aft helium mislaid power of his Tesla Cybertruck, deed a occurrence hydrant and slammed into a tree. Alijah is ranked by Rivals arsenic the No. 4 wide enlistee successful the Class of 2026 and is presently committed to USC.

Advertisement

When asked to picture his contiguous absorption to learning of the clang aboriginal successful the morning, Gilbert said helium was initially confused owed to a malfunction successful the Tesla app:

"Usually I aftermath up astatine 4:30 and I spell done the Tesla app to spot if he's heading location oregon astatine the gym. His car is astatine the gym, truthful I proceed my workout and my girl said, 'What are you doing?' I said, 'I'm moving out.' She said, 'You haven't heard? Your lad conscionable got successful an accident.' 'At the gym?' 'No he's astatine the hospital.'

"I conscionable stopped everything and ran implicit determination and was similar 'What the hell's going on? Was it his car? What's going on?' I realized the app really malfunctioned. I recovered that retired a mates days aboriginal erstwhile helium started waking up."

Alijah was released from the infirmary past week and his begetter said helium was connected way for a afloat recovery. While determination were nary large injuries, Gilbert said Alijah was placed successful the coma owed to the fume helium inhaled portion trapped wrong the Cybertruck for astatine slightest 10 minutes.

Despite the aboriginal hour, a radical of bystanders, described by Gilbert arsenic "angels," reportedly heard the clang and managed to get Alijah retired of the Cybertruck, which features physics doors without accepted handles.

"My happening was making definite determination were nary breached limbs, determination were nary burns. Lucky for him, trapped wrong of a car for truthful long, it's fortunate determination were bystanders that heard the clang that aboriginal successful the greeting that got him out.

"He was a small stronger than they thought. He was waking up going crazy, truthful they enactment him successful an induced coma conscionable to get the aerial ... They were getting the fume and each of that retired of his [lungs]. I conjecture helium was successful the car, it looked similar astir 10, 12 minutes ... Just inhaling that."

Tesla's website features an explainer connected however to unfastened the Cybertruck's doors erstwhile there's nary power, but lone from the inside. It's unclear if that was the concern past month, but photos from the country showed the car's beforehand to beryllium wholly wrecked.

Gilbert mentioned Alijah inactive had a consciousness of wit portion recovering. Upon learning helium had woken up from the coma successful a infirmary nether the UCLA umbrella, the Trojans perpetrate reportedly joked astir apologizing to USC caput manager Eric Musselman:

"Tell Mus I'm atrocious I'm astatine UCLA."

Alijah precocious finished his inferior play astatine Chatsworth High School successful the San Fernando Valley country of Los Angeles. The 6-foot-6 defender received offers from powerfulness programs including Kansas, Kentucky and Alabama but opted to enactment location with USC successful a determination announced successful January. He is the lone subordinate of Rivals' apical 10 successful 2026 to beryllium committed to a school.