Gilbert Arenas Claims Cybertruck Glitch Sparked Son's Blazing Crash
Former NBA player shares chilling details.
In April, former NBA star Gilbert Arenas and his family faced a nightmare when his son Alijah, an 18-year-old USC basketball commit, nearly lost his life in a Cybertruck crash.
The crash happened in Los Angeles when Alijah Arenas’ vehicle hit a fire hydrant and a tree, sparking a fire that trapped him inside.
Gilbert shared chilling details, speaking with Matt Barnes on the "All The Smoke" podcast, explaining that he believes the frightening incident was caused by a malfunction in the Cybertruck’s steering.
Sacramento, CA - March 15: Head coach Sam Harris reacts with Alijah Arenas #0 of Chatsworth Chancellors against the Jesuit Marauders in the second half of a boys CIF State Division II championship basketball game at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 15, 2025. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)
"The car malfunctioned on him," Gil shared. "The steering wheel went limp and ran him right into a tree."
The crash occurred before 5 a.m. that morning and reports noted that Alijah was on his way back from training.
READ: Gilbert Arenas' Son Alijah Is Recovering Since Cybertruck Crash, Coma
Rescuers freed Alijah from the wreckage, but severe smoke inhalation led to his hospitalization and a medically induced coma.
"He couldn’t break the window," Arenas said. "I seen that people were like, ‘oh, he fell asleep.’ I’m looking at, he’s on the phone with 9-1-1 — I’m trying to get that call — he’s on the phone with them for 10 minutes, so I know he was at least in the car for 10 minutes."
Days later, Alijah was released from the hospital, dodging the near-death experience that rocked the basketball community.
"Once he got his personality back, which was once they got the drugs out of him, our jokes came back," Gilbert recalled. "Like, damn boy, you almost went extra crispy on me, man. You almost went extra crispy, dawg."
NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 30: From left tor right McDonalds High School All Americans Mikel Brown, Jr. and Alijah Arenas poses for a photo with the Statue of Liberty in the background during the McDonalds High School All Americans Players Celebration on March 30, 2025, aboard the Hornblower Infinity Charter Yacht in New York, New York. (Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Alijah, a five-star guard from Chatsworth High School, committed to USC on Jan. 30 and played in the 2025 McDonald’s All-American Game. He led a standout career at Chatsworth High School, averaging 30.9 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.
The 6-foot-6, 195-lb. prospect committed to USC in January after receiving offers from schools like Alabama, Arizona, Kansas, Kentucky and more. Arenas offered a major warning to other parents after his son's crash.
"If you are 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, he said he was trying to kick the window in and couldn’t."
When Alijah got home, he and his father shared a heartfelt moment.
"I told him, I’m gonna just be honest with you — cause when he got home we had flowers for him," Gil noted. "And I gave him that speech. You’re a lucky one to see this. Most people don’t get to see the flowers and how everyone reacts when something happens. So you get to witness what the world did when you was sleep. When you was in induced coma. This is what’s supposed to make you great, that you watch life that could’ve just ended. You can’t take this sh*t for granted."
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