Gilbert Arenas recently appeared on Matt Barnes‘ All the Smoke podcast. During the interview, Arenas opened up about the life-threatening incident that landed his 18-year-old son, Alijah, in a medically induced coma.

Arenas shared that Alijah’s Tesla Cybertruck stopped working suddenly: “Long story short is the car malfunctioned on him,” he told Barnes before adding that the “steering wheel went limp,” causing Alijah to head straight toward a tree.

Gilbert Arenas gives more details of Alijah Arenas’ crash

Arenas added that Alijah “couldn’t break the window” since the windows are designed to be bulletproof — leaving him trapped in the car even after it caught on fire due to impact.

As Blavity previously reported, one bystander told ESPN that he heard banging on the window, even though the smoke prevented him from being able to see who was inside the car.

“That’s when I realized someone was inside,” the bystander said. “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.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Shade Room (@theshaderoom)

Gilbert Arenas urged parents to prepare their teens for emergencies while driving Tesla’s Cybertruck

For other parents whose children also drive a Tesla Cybertruck to keep a hammer-like tool inside the car in case of an emergency.

“He said that he was trying to kick the window, and he couldn’t,” Arenas said.

After Alijah returned home from the hospital, Arenas stressed the importance of gratitude, especially after surviving a car accident of that magnitude.

“I said, ‘Listen, you’re a lucky one to see this,” he said, reflecting on the emotional moment with his son. “Most people don’t get to see the flowers and how everybody reacts when something happens. So, you get to witness what the world did when you was sleep, when you was in an induced coma.'”

Who is Alijah Arenas?

Arenas, who Arenas shares with ex Gloria Govan, committed to the University of Southern California after making a name for himself as one of the top basketball recruits in the country. Alijah, who attends Chatsworth High School in Los Angeles, is set to graduate in 2026.

Cybertruck

Get relevant content delivered to you once a week