Alijah Arenas, the son of three-time NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas, played his first college game on Wednesday. The former NBA player celebrated the momentous occasion with a social media post that highlighted his son’s talent and potential.
Gilbert Arenas Posts Son’s Highlight To Celebrate College Debut
In April 2025, Alijah’s future was put on hold. The young athlete was involved in an accident after his vehicle crashed into a fire hydrant. He was later placed in a medically induced coma
After recovering from the harrowing incident, he suffered another setback. According to a report from Chris Haynes, he tore his meniscus and was expected to miss the entire 2025-26 season.
But his recovery was faster than initially expected, and on Wednesday the work he put in to return to the court finally came to fruition. He suited up for USC against Northwestern and produced an impressive highlight.
Gilbert was in attendance to record and post the dazzling play, which he later shared on social media along with a message. In the sequence, Alijah caused a defender to stumble with a smooth behind-the-back move. As he drove to the basket, another defender attempted to contest the shot, but he elevated for a 360 layup to avoid the defense.
“Same Game (Different) Victims 🏀💯 Lets Go USC Trojans,” Gilbert said in his post that included the video.
Same Game (Different) Victims 🏀💯 Lets Go USC Trojans pic.twitter.com/Zb6oV1nrmo
— Gilbert Arenas (@NoChillGilZero) January 22, 2026
Despite the highlight, the rest of the game proved challenging for Alijah. He started and played a total of 29 minutes.
In those 29 minutes, he attempted a team-high 15 shots but converted only three. He also went 0-for-6 from beyond the arc and 2-for-6 from the free-throw line, finishing with 8 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists.
Fellow starters Ezra Ausar and Chad Baker-Mazara compensated with 17 and 14 points, respectively. Jordan Marsh also came off the bench to score a team-high 19 points. However, USC was unable to secure the win, falling 74-68.
While he struggled with shot-making, his energy and aggression were encouraging signs. He showed he was ready to return from the accident and injury that put his basketball future in question. Off games can be expected, especially from players just returning to action.
His coaches have already shown trust in him by giving him the starting nod and significant minutes. With continued hard work, opportunities should continue to arise, and he could return to elite form as the season progresses.
