Alijah Arenas, a top basketball recruit for the University of Southern California, was involved in a serious car accident on Thursday.

Arenas, who is the son of former NBA star Gilbert Arenas, was driving a Tesla Cybertruck in the Los Angeles area when he crashed into a tree and fire hydrant.

Per ESPN’s Shams Charania, the 18-year-old has been “hospitalized and placed into an induced coma,” Charania wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

According to Sports Illustrated‘s Tarek Fattal, he “suffered no major bodily injuries.”

“ALIJAH ARENAS UPDATE: Arenas was in an accident driving a Cybertruck. It caught on fire, and he inhaled a lot of smoke. According to sources, this was the reason for induced coma (protocol for smoke inhalation). Arenas suffered no major bodily injuries,” Fattal wrote on X.

Alijah Arenas seen on the court during the 48th Annual McDonald’s All-American Games with a halftime performance from GloRilla at the Barclays Center on April 1, 2025 in New York City. Alijah Arenas seen on the court during the 48th Annual McDonald’s All-American Games with a halftime performance from GloRilla at the Barclays Center on April 1, 2025 in New York City. Natasha Campos/Getty Images for McDonald’s

What People Are Saying

Actor Billy Baldwin shared a photo of Arenas on X, formerly Twitter, and wrote: “Prayers for a full recovery for Alijah Arenas. 🙏🏽”

Former Los Angeles Lakers star Magic Johnson posted on X: “Cookie and I are praying for a full recovery for Alijah Arenas following his car crash. We are also praying for the entire Arenas family, especially his dad Gilbert and mom Laura, during this difficult time 🙏🏾”

NFL alum Robert Griffin III said on X: “Prayers up for the son of Gilbert Arenas and 5 Star USC Basketball commit Alijah Arenas. He is in an induced coma after being injured in a car crash. 🙏🏾”

This is a developing story and will be updated.