The NBA is investigating Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes over a domestic incident in 2021 between him and his girlfriend Sofia Jamora, where Jamora called the cops on Hayes at 2 AM.
The NBA announced they would investigate Hayes' actions after TMZ leaked a five-minute video of the 2021 incident this weekend. Lakers head coach JJ Redick reacted to the news by promising complete cooperation in the matter.
"We're obviously aware that the investigation has been reopened and we're going to cooperate fully. But other than that, I'm not going to have another comment on that."
The video can be disturbing to watch for some, as Hayes is seen making his way into the house and being seemingly abusive to his terrified girlfriend during the ordeal.
This incident has been known for a few years now, as a video of Hayes being tased by the police at the end of this incident went viral in 2021.
The circumstances around what had happened at the time were unclear, but this video does indicate that Hayes likely needed to be restrained. Hayes was on the New Orleans Pelicans at the time of the incident, having joined the Lakers in 2023.
Whether the Pelicans will be brought into the investigation by the NBA is unclear, though it's likely they'll have to discuss it with the league given they were the incumbent team when this situation initially played out.
Jaxson is averaging 5.0 points and 4.2 rebounds this season, playing a small role on the Lakers bench. With the Lakers getting medical clearance for Christian Koloko, the Cameroonian center will likely take some of Hayes' minutes while he deals with the legal fallout from this three-year-old incident.
If Koloko thrives in the new role, Hayes might be on the bubble of being released by the franchise who'd rather avoid the PR nightmare of having a player like Hayes at the end of their bench.
Coach Redick didn't throw Hayes under the bus with his statement but did indicate that the franchise will leave with whatever the NBA decides regarding Hayes and his past misdeeds.
