CHATSWORTH — Alijah Arenas’ family is a basketball family.
So when Chatsworth High School honored him Tuesday with a McDonald’s All-American Games jersey presentation ceremony, it only made sense for his mom to reschedule a flight to Louisville to watch his sister play and for his younger siblings to leave school in order to attend.
“Basketball is the game of life to me,” said Laura Govan, Alijah’s mom. “It’s how I run my household. It’s how I drive as a point guard. My love for them for this game is important. It’s where I come from, and it’s where I brought them up.”
Govan played college basketball at New Mexico State and professionally overseas. His dad, Gilbert Arenas, was a three-time NBA All-Star. His older sister, Izela, plays for the University of Louisville and his younger sister, Hamiley, is a star freshman at Notre Dame High School.
He also has a younger brother in middle school who has yet to make his own impact in basketball.
But in all that basketball success, Arenas is the first in his family to be named a McDonald’s All-American. He is one of 24 players selected from across the nation to play in the All-American Games, which are slated for April 1 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
“No matter where you’re from, you can always shine,” Arenas said. “As long as you work hard and you stay with your community, I feel like that’s the biggest thing. For me, (Chatsworth) feels like home.”
Chatsworth reached the CIF State Division IV championship game last year and earned a share of the West Valley League title this season by beating Cleveland in a league rematch. Arenas leads his team in points per game with 31.1, assists per game with 4.3 and steals per game with 2.2.
Chancellors head coach Sam Harris has watched his progression firsthand. He’s known the guard since he was 6 years old.
“Even from when we first got here as a freshman to right now, his growth has been just crazy,” Harris said. “That just speaks to his work ethic. It’s not like a magic formula. He literally just works and works and works. He’s proof that hard work pays off.”
The bleachers in Chatsworth’s gym were filled with students and staff members who came to support Arenas on Tuesday afternoon. He took photos with his family, teammates, the softball team, the cheerleaders — all an extension of the basketball family that has cheered him on.
“Chatsworth has always supported me,” Arenas said. “Win or lose, if I’m down a day, if I’m happy. Especially, my teammates always got me. The whole school just feels like one big team, one big family.”