Family of Basketball Recruit in Induced Coma Shares 'Remarkable' Development
The family of Alijah Arenas is sharing a "remarkable and hopeful development" just one day after the five-star recruit and USC basketball commit was involved in a serious car crash in Los Angeles.
In a statement released Friday to the media, Arenas' family said the 18-year-old has "come out of his coma and has shown significant signs of progress within the last 24 hours."
"In a powerful and emotional moment," the statement continued, "Alijah opened his eyes and was able to write on a piece of paper that he remembered the smoke and asked, 'Did anyone get hurt?'"
The family went on to say that Arenas remains intubated but that "this progress marks a critical step forward in his recovery."
The car accident this morning involving incoming USC recruit Alijah Arenas occurred when the Cybertruck he was driving struck a fire hydrant and tree.
— Ryan Kartje (@Ryan_Kartje) April 24, 2025
Arenas was taken to the hospital in “stable condition”, per the LAPD pic.twitter.com/ERqoeNMhnt
The statement also included the "harrowing account of the day" from "one of the brave individuals who helped rescue Alijah from the burning vehicle."
"I remember hearing banging on the car window, but I couldn't see anything because the smoke was so thick. That's when I realized someone was inside," the individual stated. "I tried to break the window, but it wouldn't give. Then I saw one of the windows was cracked just enough and we used everything we had to bend it and pull him out. The car was on fire. We just knew we had to get him out."
Related: Major College Basketball Prospect in Induced Coma After Car Crash
Arenas, the son of former NBA star Gilbert Arenas, was in a a Tesla Cybertruck that collided with a tree and fire hydrant just before 5 a.m. Thursday morning in Los Angeles.
Arenas is a 6-foot-6 shooting guard who considered furthering his basketball career at Kansas, Kentucky, Arizona and Louisville before committing to USC. He's the No. 13th-ranked player in ESPN's Top 100, and the No. 10 overall player in the 2025 recruiting class, according to 247 Sports.