USC’s Alijah Arenas, one of the nation’s top incoming freshmen and a potential first-round pick in the 2026 draft, has suffered a torn meniscus that could sideline him for the entire season, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link).
The school announced Wednesday that Arenas will undergo surgery and is projected to miss six to eight months, writes Jeff Borzello of ESPN. A six-month recovery time would have him back in late January, while eight months would push him to the start of the NCAA Tournament.
“Alijah is a tremendous worker, teammate, competitor, and person,” USC coach Eric Musselman said. “He is understandably disappointed that he will not be able to take the court to start the season, but his health is our No. 1 priority. We have no doubt that he will come back even stronger. We look forward to supporting him during this process.”
It’s a brutal setback for Arenas, who was only recently able to resume practicing after recovering from an April car accident that left him hospitalized for a week. According to Borzello, Arenas crashed into a tree after losing control of his Tesla Cybertruck. The vehicle caught on fire, but he was able to escape with help from bystanders after breaking the driver’s side window.
Arenas, the son of former NBA player Gilbert Arenas, was placed in an induced coma because of the amount of smoke he inhaled. Otherwise, he didn’t suffer any significant injuries from the accident.
Arenas was a five-star recruit who reclassified so he could attend college a year early. The 6’6″ shooting guard was 13th on ESPN’s recruiting rankings for this year’s class.
He is a clown just like his dad was.
And you like yours apparently.
Shaq’s son – Heart Condition
Bronny – Heart Condition
Arena’s son – Near fatal car accident & torn meniscus
Carmelo’s son ????
Young athletes get injuries. Some young athletes are children of famous people, so articles about them get more clicks due to people recognizing their names.
But they are not more injury prone than their peers.
I feel the “Powers of Be” pick and choose who they want to pass down generational wealth too. I feel all the aforementioned “injuries” are fake 🤥 if you ask me.
He better knock the interviews and sessions out of the park come draft time. Not sure Gil gives great advice.