Alijah Arenas feels "very lucky" as he attends first USC press conference with coach Eric Musselman 

Alijah Arenas, son of former NBA player Gilbert Arenas, is set for his freshman year at USC after signing on Friday. He marked this start by attending his first USC press conference with coach Eric Musselman.

On Tuesday, USC shared a clip of Arenas from the press conference through their Instagram account.

"I'm very lucky, you know, not even just to be here," Alijah said. "I'm very lucky, and just general in life, you know, everywhere I'm at. USC, you guys are amazing. My coaching staff is amazing. My teammates are amazing. I don't even have words to express how I feel about my life right now."

Arenas expressed his gratitude not just towards the support and guidance from USC. The 6-foot-5 shooting guard, fully recovered from the car accident, is also grateful for life in general.

"@alijah0arenas is filled with gratitude as he begins his time at USC 🙏," read the post caption.

Alijah Arenas, who reclassified to the Class of 2025, averaged points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.1 steals in his senior year at Chatsworth High. He led his team to a City Section Open Division final, a CIF State Division II regional title, and a spot in the state championship game.

He surpassed 3,000 career points last season and was named the SI's All‑CIF SoCal Offensive Player of the Year. He was also selected for the McDonald’s All‑American game.

Alijah Arenas shares details about the Cybertruck accident

Alijah Arenas survived a major accident in April when the Cybertruck he was driving crashed and caught fire. After training at the gym, he noticed a malfunction.

“The wheel wasn’t moving as easily as it should,” he told the LA Times.

He tried to pull over, but the steering was unresponsive, which caused him to veer into a fire hydrant and then a tree. The vehicle caught fire.

Arenas, who was locked out of the Tesla app, said:

“I tried to open the door, and the door isn’t opening.”

He passed out from the smoke, briefly regaining consciousness to feel his right side on fire. He poured water on himself, biting his lips to stay awake.

“I was fighting time,” he added.

Eventually, bystanders broke the windshield and pulled him out. Arenas spent six days in the hospital, including time in a medically induced coma. After the horrific experience, he said:

"Honestly, I take full responsibility … I don’t really want to put anyone else in this situation.”

Arenas has now fully recovered.