Gilbert Arenas has revealed the major Tesla Cybertruck malfunction that led to a near-fatal car crash for his son, Alijah, late last month.
The rising basketball player was briefly placed into an induced coma after he crashed his Tesla early in the morning of April 24, with the vehicle catching fire.
And according to former Wizards star Arenas, the crash occurred after the car’s steering wheel ‘went limp’ – leading his son to crash into a tree.
TMZ reported that investigators did not see any signs of intoxication in Alijah after he was pulled from the burning car.
The 18-year-old spent ‘at least 10 minutes’ in the burning car, Arenas said on All the Smoke, as another design flaw kept him trapped in the car.
Arenas said Alijah was physically unable to break the car’s windows, which are designed to be extremely shatter-resistant.
Gilbert Arenas’ son, Alijah, was placed into an induced coma after the crash on April 24
Alijah nearly died after the steering wheel in the car ‘went limp’ according to his dad
‘If you’re a parent and your teen has this car, you might want to put a hammer in that joint,’ Arenas said.
Following the crash and Alijah’s discharge from the hospital, he was welcomed home with a heartwarming display of flowers, balloons and gifts.
However, Arenas made sure to tell Alijah how fortunate he was.
‘You’re a lucky one to see this,’ he recalled saying to Alijah, on All the Smoke. ‘Most people don’t get to see the flowers and how everyone reacts when something happens …You can’t take this s*** for granted.’
Alijah broke no bones in the accident according to ESPN, though he inhaled a significant amount of smoke.
As relayed in a family statement, one of the Good Samaritans who rescued Alijah from the burning car said they heard ‘banging on the car window, but I couldn’t see anything because the smoke was so thick.
‘That’s when I realized someone was inside. 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.’
Arenas, 43, is seen talking to his son during halftime of a basketball game in March 2024
Alijah’s family added: ‘This act of courage, along with Alijah’s incredible will to survive, has been nothing short of miraculous. The family continues to ask for the public’s prayers and support as their miracle baby fights his way back to a full recovery.
Alijah is a five-star basketball prospect committed to play at USC next season, and he played in the prestigious McDonald’s All-American Game earlier this year.
Arenas, 43, was a three-time All-Star for the Wizards as he established himself as one of the NBA’s premier scorers in the mid 2000’s.
He last appeared in the league in 2012 before playing a brief stint with the Shanghai Sharks.
