The NBA has issued a one-game suspension without pay to Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes for pushing the Washington Wizards’ mascot, G-Wiz, during pre-game introductions, the league announced Wednesday.
According to Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations James Jones, the incident took place on Jan. 30 at Capital One Arena, moments before the Lakers’ 142-111 victory over Washington. Video of the altercation circulated on social media shortly after the game.
Hayes will serve the suspension Thursday when the Lakers host the Philadelphia 76ers at Crypto.com Arena. He will be eligible to return Saturday against the Golden State Warriors.
Dan Woike of The Athletic reported that the mascot was not injured. No additional discipline was announced.
The timing leaves Los Angeles short-handed as the NBA trade deadline falls on the same day as Thursday’s matchup with Philadelphia. With Hayes sidelined, head coach Darvin Ham is expected to use Maxi Kleber or rookie Drew Timme for reserve center minutes, and could also deploy small-ball lineups featuring LeBron James, Rui Hachimura or Jarred Vanderbilt.
Hayes, 26, is also scheduled to take part in this year’s Slam Dunk Contest during All-Star Weekend at Intuit Dome in Inglewood.
Source: Lakers Nation
