Buddy Hield & more NBA players react as Alijah Arenas' first words from induced coma revealed after Tesla fire
Alijah Arenas gave the basketball world a scare when the McDonald's All-American was put into an induced coma after being involved in a car crash on Thursday morning. Arenas, who was in a Tesla Cybertruck that crashed into a fire hydrant in Los Angeles, woke up from his coma on Friday, much to the relief of his family and players around the basketball space.
Arenas is the son of former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas and is one of the top recruits in the 2026 class. He has committed to play at USC next season, but his debut may be delayed depending on how serious his injuries are.
ESPN's Shams Charania reported the news, saying that Alijah Arenas was awake, much to the relief of his family, who released a statement shortly after. His first sentence when he woke up was a question, making sure he didn't injure anyone else.
"Did anyone get hurt?" asked Alijah Arenas when he woke up from his coma.
Luckily for Arenas and others, no one else was hurt in the crash and Arenas himself didn't suffer any major injuries. The support from NBA players has been loud as players like Buddy Hield, Matt Barnes and Festus Ezeli all reached out to show their support for the Arenas family as they prayed for Alijah's health.
There is no current timetable for Alijah Arenas' recovery from the crash, but the fact that he is awake and able to speak is a positive sign. He will continue to receive support from his family and basketball players around the country as one of the brightest young stars in the sport finds his way back onto the court.
Will Alijah Arenas' crash keep him off the court for USC?
While Arenas' crash is serious, it isn't the first time that a highly-touted recruit heading to USC has experienced health issues in the past few years. Bronny James experienced cardiac arrest during a USC practice last July and was forced to sit out part of the season.
Fans can't help but wonder if Arenas will need to miss time as well, even though his incident is far earlier in the year than James' was. USC coach Eric Musselman isn't focused on that right now, saying that the Trojan program is behind the Arenas family and will support them as their son recovers.
Arenas is expected to do big things in his first year of college basketball. However, he and his family, as well as USC, will make sure he is fully recovered before he takes the court again.