Former NBA player-turned-analyst Gilbert Arenas’ son, Alijah Arenas, has decided to withdraw his name from the 2026 NBA Draft. The USC Trojans’ shooting guard will return to college for his sophomore year, and a few fans tried to mock him for his decision, connecting it to his father’s legacy. However, his younger brother Aloni Arenas quickly came to his rescue.
Gilbert Arenas has five sons, and four are already chasing their NBA/WNBA dreams. The second-oldest son, Alijah, is the son of Gilbert with his former girlfriend, Laura Govan. He plays for the Trojans and reportedly applied for the 2026 NBA Draft. Bleacher Report Hoops shared the news on Instagram that the young guard will return to USC and wrote:
“Alijah Arenas will return to USC for his sophomore season 🔥, per @swishcultures
The Trojans are LOADED”
In the 2025-26 season, the Trojans’ guard averaged 14.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists. He shot 34.1% from the field and can improve his efficiency by playing for another season in college. However, fans did not take his decision in a good light, as one wrote:
“Dude wanted some attention.. so he put his name in the draft, just to take it out lol. He felt he wasn’t talked about enough. Him.. or his daddy lmao.”
Alijah’s younger brother, Aloni, replied to the fan and wrote:
“shut that lip lil bro”
Gilbert Arenas, on the other hand, hosts his own show on YouTube, Gil’s Arena, and passionately shares his opinion on everything related to basketball.
Alijah Arenas’ return ignites USC Trojans’ hope for next season
Alijah Arenas will be back for his sophomore season after a topsy-turvy freshman bout, where he suffered several torn Achilles. However, before that, he had a good three-game stretch where he scored 29, 24, and 25 points, but his performance dipped after the injury. However, he will look to come prepared next season and help the team make a title-winning run.
Alijah will now look towards the offseason and work on his game before the next season. While he was set for a decent pick in this draft, another season in college will give him enough room to work on his gameplay and come back better in next year’s draft.
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