Despite being a 16-year NBA veteran, Kevin Durant’s skill-set still leaves people in awe when they witness the legendary forward play in person. Gilbert Arenas’ son, Alijah, received the opportunity to join a private run with the Suns star at the end of summer. He sacrificed a day of school to play against one of his idols, and the experience left him star-struck at Durant’s physical stature.
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Alijah joined The Youngins Sports Podcast to discuss the past whirlwind summer for his basketball career. He couldn’t pass up on the opportunity to play against one of the best NBA players ever. His preparations for the moment still weren’t enough to brace him before Durant. He said,
“You know when you see somebody on TV but you meet him and they’re like kind of different. They’re not really what they seem. Might be a little shorter. He was beyond what I thought. He was so tall. I was just like, ‘Who is this guy? That is not KD.’ He is really like 7’3.”
A players-only run took place in California before training camp for the 2024-25 NBA season. Moses Moody, Naz Reid, and Ryan Dunn were the NBA talents getting their work in. Gilbert Arenas’s son met many former and current NBA players through his father. However, they all paled in comparison to his first encounter with Durant.
The 6-foot-11 forward towered over the 6-foot-4 high school prospect. Alijah firmly believes Durant’s recorded height is far from correct. He didn’t even have a moment to soak in the experience as Durant gave him a reality check fairly quickly.
In his first possession guarding Durant, the Suns forward easily scored over Arenas. His following words stuck with the young guard. “Obviously I get scored on and he was like, ‘Get off the court,’ Alijah said. “These NBA players don’t care who you are. If you’re going to play you got to act like you’re a basketball player.”
The intense environment didn’t intimidate Alijah. Instead, it motivated him to outperform the player in front of him, regardless of whether they were an all-time great.
Alijah is an amazing basketball player
There are plenty of children of former NBA players who receive attention mainly due to the name of their fathers. However, that is anything but the case for Alijah.
Arenas is a consensus five-star recruit and is the fifth-ranked player in the nation for the class of 2026. If there were any doubts regarding his talent, his performance against Durant in the summer silenced the critics.
Alijah Arenas played 1s against Kevin Durant, Naz Reid, and Moses Moody. He just started his junior year of high school
😳( via @swishcultures_ ) pic.twitter.com/2Hnr6j6Qqc
— ENJ🏀Y (@EnjoyBBall) September 6, 2024
However, Alijah doesn’t hold back against competition his own age either. In his sophomore season, he averaged 33.0 points along with 8.6 rebounds. Ahead of his junior season, he’s already received 17 Division 1 offers including from Arizona, Alabama, and Arizona State.
The young star still has two full seasons of high school basketball left to hone his craft. If his body of work thus far is an indicator of what’s yet to come, Alijah Arenas is bound to be a star in the NBA one day.
