Gilbert Arenas shares insights on training son Alijah Arenas to play without entitlement: "You've to go hard"

NBA fans are now seeing second-generation players like Scotty Pippen Jr., Bronny James, Kiyan Anthony, and Alijah Arenas all make names for themselves. These second-generation hoopers saw their fathers carve out their own lanes in the world of basketball. Now, they are looking to follow in their father's footsteps by earning their way to the NBA.

While Bronny James and Scotty Pippen Jr. are both already in the NBA, Gilbert Arenas' son Alijah is preparing to make his college decision. Amid talk of reclassifying into the class of 2025, his NBA dreams are closer to becoming a reality. On "The Pivot Podcast", Gilbert Arenas spoke about his son's journey.

Specifically, the NBA vet discussed training his son, and instilling a fierce competitive nature within him in order to set him up for success.

"You gotta put him in situations where they're meant to fail. I told him, I said, 'you show them all the athletes and their kids'. And I said, the difference is the kids from the hood, they're playing off of fear. They don't want to be in this situation no more. So their work ethic is coming from, 'I don't want to be here anymore.'

"You don't have that situation, so you can only fight that with love. You have to love it. Meaning the accolades don't matter. The money don't matter. None of it matters. Because you're gonna put in the work. Because you just love to put in this work. That's the only way you're gonna make it."

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Alijah Arenas reclassifies into class of 2025 as he sets his sights on following in Gilbert Arenas' footsteps

With Alijah Arenas' sights set on following in his father's footsteps, the second-generation hooper is expected to reclassify and become a member of the class of 2025.

He had been projected to be in the 2027 NBA Draft after playing one year in college. However, if he reclassifies, Alijah Arenas will be eligible to be drafted in the 2026 NBA Draft.

This would put him on the same trajectory as another notable second-generation hooper, Kiyan Anthony. In addition, he would also land in the same draft class as Cameron and Cayden Boozer, another pair of second-generation hoopers.

While there's been no word on where Alijah Arenas will play college ball, he recently visited Arizona, where his father spent two seasons before joining the NBA. After Kiyan Anthony decided to follow in his father's footsteps by declaring for Syracuse, it will be interesting to see if Alijah follows a similar path.