Gilbert Arenas is speaking out after his son, Alijah Arenas, was involved in a serious car accident that occurred on April 24, 2025.
In a recent interview with Matt Barnes, the former NBA star shared how his morning routine was interrupted by a call no parent ever wants to receive.
“I’m up at 4:30 working out,” Arenas began. “Every time I wake up, I look on my app to see where he’s at. He’s got the Cybertruck, so I can see exactly where he is at”
That day, everything seemed normal until he got a call from his daughter Hamiley asking if he had heard what happened. “She said, ‘Your son got in an accident.'”
Gilbert rushed to the hospital to learn that Alijah had been involved in a serious car accident while driving home. The car reportedly malfunctioned, causing the steering wheel to go limp and crash into a tree.
He said, “First thing I’m checking, is anything broken?” he recalled.
One of the more harrowing moments came when Arenas explained that Alijah had been trapped inside the vehicle as it caught fire.
“He couldn’t break the [bullet proof] windows,” he explained.
He added, “If you’re a a parent and your teen has this car, you might want to put a hammer in that joint. Something that can break the window because physically [not strong enough].”
Reflecting on how close his son came to tragedy, Arenas shared an emotional moment between them once Alijah returned home. “We had flowers for him and I gave him that speech: ‘You are a lucky one to see this. Most people don’t get to see the flowers and how everyone reacts when something happens.’”
“You get to witness what the world did when you were in an induced coma. This is what is supposed to make you great.”
He added that the accident has been a major wake-up call for Alijah and their family.
The accident, he said, has shifted perspective for their entire family. Arenas also noted that he and Alijah’s mother, Laura Govan, put aside their differences and came together to support their son.
“If one of the kids is hurt, she becomes overly protective. That’s one thing I’ll give her credit for. I knew he was in good hands,” he said.
Now on the road to recovery, Alijah is expected to be back on the basketball court soon.
