What began as an odd pregame moment in Washington is now moving toward something more serious.
The performer behind the Wizards’ mascot, G-Wiz, has retained an attorney in preparation for a potential lawsuit against Lakers center Jaxson Hayes after Hayes shoved the mascot during pregame introductions on Jan. 30 at Capital One Arena, an incident the NBA deemed worthy of discipline. The league suspended Hayes one game without pay, after video of the shove circulated widely.
Jaxson Hayes shoved Wizards mascot, G-Wiz, in pre-game introductions
Hayes has been suspended for one game, per @ShamsCharania pic.twitter.com/x4xz2Ndw2I
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 4, 2026
The legal wrinkle drawing immediate attention is who the mascot performer reportedly hired. TMZ Sports reported that the performer has retained Waukeen McCoy, one of the attorneys who previously represented Hayes’ former girlfriend, model Sofia Jamora, in a civil lawsuit stemming from domestic-violence allegations against Hayes. In 2024 McCoy (along with Laura Stone) represented Jamora and spoke publicly about the league’s handling of its investigation into that earlier matter.
It’s important to separate what is confirmed from what is emerging. The NBA’s discipline of Hayes is official and tied to the on-court incident with the mascot. The potential lawsuit and the attorney retention have been reported by TMZ, but no filed complaint has been cited publicly in the league’s reporting, and neither the Lakers nor Wizards have announced any civil action themselves.
Still, the optics are unavoidable: an on-camera, game-night shove that already resulted in league punishment now carries the possibility of civil litigation, and the performer’s choice of representation connects this episode to a much more sensitive chapter in Hayes’ past that has been litigated and publicly discussed through attorneys.
