The basketball world is getting a good glimpse at Alijah Arenas as he stars at USC as a freshman. For former Los Angeles Lakers champion Metta World Peace, he’s been well aware of what Arenas brings to the table, knowing him since he was in middle school.
Based on what he’s seen in the past—and is now seeing during Arenas’ run at USC—World Peace was confident in claiming that Arenas is on his way to being another version of the late-great Laker, Kobe Bryant.
Sharing his opinion on the social media platform X, World Peace recalled watching one of Arenas’s games when he was in a private school, claiming that “the kid out there looked right.”
“Keep in mind, I didn’t see him since then, and I think he’s six-seven,” World Peace explained. “The kid is the next Kobe.”
Bryant, a basketball Hall of Famer, didn’t enter the NBA as a top pick. He was selected 13th overall by the Charlotte Hornets and flipped to the Lakers. At the time, he skipped attending a major program like USC and went straight to the league as he could. He played a full-time reserve role in his first two years. Bryant became a full-time starter in his third season and fired up his first championship in year four.
As far as resumes go, Bryant’s is impressive enough to put him in the same conversation as some of the greats. Five-time champion, two-time NBA Finals MVP, 18 All-Star nods, 15 All-NBA nods, and an NBA MVP trophy in 2008. Any player entering the NBA would be thrilled with that kind of outcome throughout their career.
“I don’t think he needs to change his number to 24 or anything like that, I think he could just be the next Alijah, but the kid is the next Kobe,” World Peace continued. “MVP by year five or six? He’ll have a tough time because you still have Wembanyama and some other players in there, but MVP roughly five through seven. It could be earlier, honestly.”
Arenas has six games under his belt at USC. Seeing the court for 27.5 minutes on average, Arenas is shooting 35 percent from the field and 27 percent from three, averaging 13.8 points pr game. He is also posting averages of 2.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and nearly one block per game.
Due to injuries before this season, Arenas’ plans for the 2026 NBA Draft are up in the air. While he is widely expected to be a high selection when he decides to come out of the NCAA, it’s unclear if he’ll spend the 2026-2027 NBA season as a rookie or return to USC for another round as a sophomore.
Either way, the former Lakers standout is confident that Arenas will have a successful pro career.
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