The Arenas family also thanked a bystander who reportedly helped bend a Cybertruck window in order to free the high school senior, ESPN reported
Alijah Arenas is out of a medically induced coma but remains intubated, the Arenas family said in their first statement following his life-threatening Cybertruck crash on Thursday in Los Angeles.
Alijah, the 18-year-old son of former NBA star Gilbert Arenas woke up from his induced coma, ESPN reported on Friday, April 25, citing a statement from the basketball player’s family.
The Arenas family told the outlet that Alijah has “shown significant signs of progress within the last 24 hours” and asked “did anyone get hurt?” when he first woke up on Friday.
The Arenas family’s statement also included a quote from a bystander who says they helped remove Alijah from Cybertruck after the crash occurred, according to ESPN.
“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 bystander said, according to ESPN. “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.”
Thanking the bystander for their help, the Arenas family’s statement also said that Alijah’s “incredible will to survive” has been “nothing short of miraculous,” according to ESPN.
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“The family continues to ask for the public’s prayers and support as their miracle baby fights his way back to a full recovery,” the Arenas family statement added. “They remain deeply grateful for the exceptional care provided by his medical team and the overwhelming love and encouragement from the community.”
The 18-year-old is Gilbert Arenas’ second-oldest child. Gilbert, a three-time NBA All-Star who spent most of his 12-year career with the Washington Wizards, shares four kids with his ex Laura Govan: Izela, Alijah, Hamiley and Aloni. Gilbert, 43, also shares a daughter Gia with his ex-girlfriend Lindsey Faulk.
Alijah is a top basketball recruit who committed to the University of Southern California in December. He currently attends Chatsworth High School in Los Angeles, and was ranked both the No. 4 player and No. 1 shooting guard nationwide in the class of 2026.
“Our personalities are a little the same,” Alijah said about him and his father earlier this month, during an interview with creator Trey Phills at the McDonald’s All-American Game. “I feel like that’s my dad’s dream too, that I could get to that level.”
