{"id":108814,"date":"2024-11-25T10:30:46","date_gmt":"2024-11-25T15:30:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=108814"},"modified":"2024-11-25T09:06:47","modified_gmt":"2024-11-25T14:06:47","slug":"james-harden-finds-heir-in-alijah-arenas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/11\/25\/james-harden-finds-heir-in-alijah-arenas\/","title":{"rendered":"James Harden Finds ‘Heir’ in High School Phenom"},"content":{"rendered":"

Clippers<\/a> star\u00a0James Harden<\/a>\u00a0has expressed admiration for Chatsworth High School junior Alijah Arenas<\/a>. Harden\u2019s praise for the son of former NBA player Gilbert Arenas<\/a> highlights the rising star\u2019s potential to follow in his father\u2019s\u2014and perhaps Harden\u2019s\u2014footsteps.<\/p>\n

James Harden Finds ‘Heir’ in Alijah Arenas<\/h2>\n

James Harden Sees Himself in Alijah Arenas<\/h3>\n

Harden compared his own high school experiences to those of Alijah, currently ranked fourth<\/a> in ESPN\u2019s class of 2026. He noted that both players sought to test themselves by competing against professional-level talent early.<\/p>\n

\u201cI saw Alijah this summer,\u201d Harden said. \u201cHe reminded me of myself in the sense that he played against pros while still in high school.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This approach, according to Harden, accelerates development by exposing young players to the physicality and skill set of elite basketball.<\/p>\n

Arenas\u2019 Stellar Performances Are Hard to Ignore<\/h3>\n

Standing at 6-foot-6, Alijah Arenas has dazzled scouts and fans alike. As a freshman, he averaged<\/a> an incredible 30.3 points per game. His scoring rose to 33 points per game in his sophomore year.\u00a0Arenas has showcased his abilities during AAU tournaments with the Compton Magic and at USA Basketball\u2019s under-17 national team training camp. This summer, he faced off against NBA stars like Kevin Durant<\/a> and Bennedict Mathurin<\/a> in open runs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to face the toughest competition,\u201d Arenas said. \u201cThat\u2019s how I\u2019ll become the player I want to be.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

College Powerhouses Are Taking Notice<\/h3>\n

Top college programs are actively pursuing Arenas. He has received<\/a> offers from schools like Alabama, Arizona, Kansas, and UCLA. Arizona State, California, and Fresno State have also expressed interest.<\/p>\n

With two years of high school left, Arenas plans to take his time evaluating these opportunities.<\/p>\n

James Harden Offers Mentorship To Alijah Arenas<\/h3>\n

Harden has taken a personal interest in Arenas\u2019 development. The former MVP even extended an invitation to train together.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just spoke to him and said, \u2018If you ever need anything, reach out, and we can train together,\u2019\u201d Harden revealed. \u201cHe\u2019s a true student of the game.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This mentorship could prove invaluable for Arenas, who aspires to grow beyond his scoring reputation.<\/p>\n

Arenas Aims to Broaden His Identity<\/h3>\n

Despite his scoring accolades, Arenas doesn\u2019t want to be defined solely by his offensive output.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s scoring that people associate me with,\u201d Arenas admitted. \u201cHowever, I want to change that perception. I want to be known for much more than just scoring.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

His versatility has drawn comparisons to Jamal Crawford<\/a> and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander<\/a>. However, Arenas is intent on forging his own path.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I see something and like it, I\u2019ll incorporate it into my game,\u201d he explained.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

A Promising Future Ahead<\/h3>\n

As Arenas prepares for his junior season, he remains focused on diversifying his skill set and embracing new challenges. His ability to score, compete at high levels, and seek mentorship from players like Harden underscores his potential to become one of basketball\u2019s next big stars.<\/p>\n

Harden\u2019s<\/a> recognition of Arenas as a kindred spirit and potential heir reflects the high expectations surrounding the young phenom. If Arenas continues on this trajectory, he may not only live up to the hype but redefine it entirely.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Clippers star\u00a0James Harden\u00a0has expressed admiration for Chatsworth High School junior Alijah Arenas. Harden\u2019s praise for the son of former NBA player Gilbert Arenas highlights the rising star\u2019s potential to follow in his father\u2019s\u2014and perhaps Harden\u2019s\u2014footsteps. James Harden Finds ‘Heir’ in Alijah Arenas James Harden Sees Himself in Alijah Arenas Harden compared his own high school […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5018,"featured_media":108869,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,27,62],"tags":[27445,49851,4303,3772,979,1944,2055,377,444,69,1489,2081],"class_list":["post-108814","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-clippers","category-nba","tag-aau","tag-alijah-arenas","tag-bennedict-mathurin","tag-college-basketball-recruiting","tag-espn","tag-gilbert-arenas","tag-high-school","tag-jamal-crawford","tag-james-harden","tag-kevin-durant","tag-shai-gilgeous-alexander","tag-team-usa"],"modified_by":"Jordan Pagkalinawan","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108814","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5018"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=108814"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108814\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/108869"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=108814"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=108814"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=108814"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}