"You know how we are as parents": Alijah Arenas' father Gilbert Arenas opens up on the challenges of being a parent as an NBA player 

Three-time NBA All-Star and father of the USC Trojans commit Alijah Arenas, Gilbert Arenas had some strong feelings as he talked about the challenges of being a parent as an NBA player.

In his podcast, "No Chill Gil," the former Lakers' star gave examples of the four-time champion, LeBron James, and his son, Bronny James. He was very outspoken about being an NBA parent and the effects it has on fatherhood:

"Lebron Fatherhood is under attack BUT every single Respectable Father would have done the same SHYT 🤦🏾‍♂️ #striveforgreatness #lakernation @underdogfantasy @gilsarena0," he captioned the post.

"When you think about it, you know he (Bronny James) wasn't ready. As a father, you're still a father to your son. You're still trying to praise them and make them feel like they're worthy of playing basketball because they can get discouraged at any moment in time, right? That part of it, the NBA part," said Arenas.

Gilbert Arenas also shared a scary situation about Alijah Arenas and how being in the NBA made him miss out on a huge part of his life:

"My son could've died. I've been in the league for 21 years, right? I missed 19 to 20 of his life. You know how we are as parents. We're in, we're out, we're in, we're out," said Gilbert Arenas.

He contined: "My first-born with my name almost passed and you're telling me, I'm gonna keep playing in this league to miss this? F**k no, this is going to be the first time in my career where I get three hundred and sixty five f***ing days with my son. I'm not letting someone else draft him. I want him near me."

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What was Gilbert Arenas' pre-game advice to Alijah Arenas?

Alijah Arenas appeared in a video posted by the famous basketball page, The Hoops Pill, on Instagram. He was asked about the advice his father and the 2002-03 NBA Most Improved Player, Gilbert Arenas, gave him before the 2025 CIF LA City Section Boys' Basketball Championships match.

"He was saying stay disciplined, stay working hard in this country team, move it, communicate and you know what you could do. We also got, you know, encourage your teammates to stay uplifting and then just keep pushing forward," said Alijah Arenas.

Alijah Arenas, who reclassified from the 2026 Class to 2025, signed for the Trojans on Jan. 30. He will be joined by Jerry Easter and Elzie Harrington next season.