On Wednesday, Jaxson Hayes received a one-game suspension for pushing an NBA mascot. This punishment is longer than the one he got for a past incident involving his former girlfriend.
In 2022, the Los Angeles Lakers center entered a no-contest plea on charges related to false imprisonment and resisting an officer. This followed a 2021 incident when his ex-girlfriend called the police over a domestic violence issue. The NBA conducted two investigations, especially after TMZ released footage of Hayes’ aggressive behavior. However, he faced no punishment from the league then.
The NBA takes mascot violence seriously
Unlike the lengthy investigation into Hayes’ actions involving his former partner, the NBA acted quickly, suspending him just five days after he pushed the mascot.
During pregame introductions, Washington Wizards mascot “G-Wiz” was passing by the Lakers bench while waving a large Wizards flag when Hayes abruptly shoved him. This caused G-Wiz to collide into the Wizards dance team, hitting one of the dancers.