Proud mom Laura Govan reacts to James Harden’s inspiring words for son Alijah Arenas

Former NBA player Gilbert Arenas' son, Alijah Arenas, is one of the top prospects in the 2026 class. The high school junior has caught the attention of fans all over and is earning big praise from professional players.

In a post-game chat with the media, LA Clippers' James Harden praised Arenas and compared the young star to himself.

Harden was asked about his presence at Arenas and his team, Chatsworth High School's game against Westchester in the 2024 Westside Tip-Off Classic High School basketball tournament. He said:

"I seen Alijah this summer, and he just kinda reminded me of myself in the sense that he played against pros as a junior in high school, and that’s how you get better. You learn physicality, you learn skill set, and what you gotta get to.

"I just spoke to him and said, ‘If you ever need anything, reach out, we can communicate. We've done a couple of times. He’s just a true student of the game.”

Alijah Arenas' mother, Lauren Govan, shared a clip of the interview on her Instagram story on Sunday with the caption:

"(James Harden) On (Alijah Arenas's) Game 💪🏾."

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Alijah Arenas comments on his comparisons with NBA stars

Alijah Arenas is ranked No. 4 in the 2026 class and averaged 33.0 points last season as a sophomore, up from his 30.3 points per contest in his freshman year. His playing style has been compared to many NBA players, including Jamal Crawford and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

When asked about his thoughts on this in an early-November interview with Forbes, Arenas said:

"Honestly, for me to tell you, I don't really know. For me, if I see something and I like it, I'll use it. It's not like I'm planning on using it, it just happens. If I see it one time — like if I'm at a 24-hour-fitness — I see somebody did it, I'll try it in the game to work. That's the type of person I am.

"My dad will say, ‘Hey, come look at this.’ We see something, work on it, I'll put it in the game.”

While he is known as an excellent scorer, Arenas is hoping to expand his skill set and become an all-rounder:

"I don't want it to just be scoring. I want it to be many other things. If you were to basically give an overview of me, I feel like all you have to say right now is scoring. I don't really want that headline."

Right now, Arenas has college offers from Alabama, Kansas, Texas, UCLA and his father's alma mater, Arizona. He has plenty of time before he makes his final decision by next year.

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