2025 McDonald's All American Boys Game - Source: Getty

"When hoop is life": Gilbert Arenas' ex Laura Govan dedicates special message for son Alijah Arenas via IG

Modified Apr 03, 2025 20:42 GMT

Laura Govan, the ex-partner of former NBA star Gilbert Arenas, shared a message for their son, Alijah Arenas, on Thursday on Instagram, posting a picture of Alijah walking beside a McDonald’s All-American Game bus. She added proud and sentimental words with the picture as Alijah is set to begin a new phase in his basketball journey.

“Not Even The Beginning Of The First Start, You Where Bread For This!!!” Govan wrote.

She tagged Alijah Arenas’ Instagram account alongside a flexed arm emoji. Her support and appreciation for Alijah are highlighted by her understanding of the dedication and effort required to succeed in the sport.

“When Hoop Is Life ONLY REAL Hoopers Understand… ❤️”, she captioned the picture.

Alijah Arenas, who reclassified to the 2025 class last year, has committed to USC for next season. During his high school career at Chatsworth, the 6-foot-5 shooting guard averaged 31.8 points, 2.9 assists, 8.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.1 blocks in 78 games over three years. This season, he averaged 31.8 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 4.3 apg, 2.2 spg and 0.8 bpg.

Despite the reclassification, he ranks 12th among the top recruits of his class and fourth among shooting guards.

Laura Govan shares emotional message for son Alijah Arenas at McDonald's All-American Game

Alijah Arena’s family was present at the McDonald’s All-American Game on Tuesday. His father, Gilbert; his mother, Laura Govan; his sisters, Hamiley and Izela; and his brother, Aloni, were all in attendance to support him.

On the game night, Govan shared several heartfelt posts on Instagram. One of them featured a picture of Alijah and his brother Aloni running together down a hallway.

"YOU WILL FOREVER ONLY HAVE ONE BROTHER… You're ALL YOU Got. No One Can EVER Replace that. My Boyz ♥️♥️ @alijah0arenas @aloniarenas. Proud Mom… ♥️♥️,” she captioned the post with an emotional message.

Aloni, a Class of 2027 prospect, is also pursuing basketball. Izela and Hamiley Arenas are also on basketball career paths. Izela recently entered the transfer portal after playing for Louisville, and Hamiley completed her freshman year at Notre Dame.

At the McDonald’s All-American game, he played for the West Team alongside top-ranked prospects AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson. He scored 11 points in his team's 105-92 victory over the East Team.

About the author

Nishant is a Delhi-based journalist at Sportskeeda specializing in High School Sports. He graduated in Mathematical Sciences and is pursuing a Masters in Operational Research at Delhi University.

With his educational background and over four years of experience, Nishant likes to be precise with information. He is passionate about cricket, football, basketball, and chess, often writing about events and game analysis.

His favorite team is the Michigan Wolverines, and he thoroughly enjoyed their unbeaten season and championship win, especially when it culminated in Jim Harbaugh fulfilling his promise of getting a tattoo.

When he is not working or watching sports, Nishant likes to play football and write poetry. Wrapping everything in humor with relatable memes and defending his heart out on the football field is why he gets up every day.

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