Chatsworth boys basketball star and USC commit Alijah Arenas is out of a medically-induced coma, according to reports, after being involved in a severe car accident early Thursday morning in Reseda.
“In a remarkable and hopeful development, Alijjah Arenas has come out of his coma and has shown significant signs of progress within the last 24 hours,” a statement from the family shared by ESPN NBA Insider Shams Charania said.
“Although he remains intubated, this progress marks a critical step forward in his recovery.”
Arenas is with his mother, Laura Govan, father Gilbert Arenas and three siblings in the hospital but visitors are not allowed at this time.
Chatsworth boys basketball coach Sam Harris has been communicating with the family since Thursday morning and has been relaying messages to Arenas’ teammates. The Chancellors won a CIF State Division II SoCal Regional title this season and reached the state championship game.
“They were super close — brothers, all 17 of them,” Harris said. “They all reached out, they were all concerned. They all want to go see him.”
Arenas, the Los Angeles Daily News boys basketball player of the year, is a McDonald’s All-American and is the first player in the CIF L.A. City Section to reach 3,000 career points.
But it was his humility that made him a favorite at the school and in the basketball community. Fans and spectators lined up after games for a photo with or an autograph from the budding star. Arenas spoke with all of them.
@haleymsawyer USC commit Alijah Arenas is signing autographs after Chatsworth’s 80-59 win over Francis Parker in the CIF State Regional Division II playoffs. #highschoolbasketball #basketball #sportsreporter #sports #reporter #journalism #usc #chatsworth
♬ original sound – Haley Sawyer
Harris recalls being terrified at work Thursday morning when he began receiving messages about Arenas’ accident.
“Not only because he’s one of my players, but I’ve known him since he was a child and I know how important he is to his parents,” Harris said. “He’s a human. Outside of basketball, you automatically think about that first. He’s a brother. His family loves him dearly. The people around him love him.”
USC men’s basketball is unable to comment at this time because Arenas is still a prospective student-athlete but head coach Eric Musselman did show support for his recovery in a social media post.
School and athletics employees have been instructed not to discuss specific details surrounding Arenas’ accident, which occurred on the 7900 block of Corbin Avenue in Reseda.
Plastic, glass and metal debris from the Tesla Cybertruck that struck a fire hydrant and a tree was still scattered down the block on Thursday afternoon.
@haleymsawyer Chatsworth boys basketball player and USC commit Alijah Arenas was seriously injured in a car accident in Reseda on Monday morning. #usc #chatsworth #basketball #collegebasketball #highschoolbasketball #sportsreporter #reporter #sports
♬ original sound – Haley Sawyer
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