Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
There have been a number of outright bizarre incidents that have led to NBA players getting hit with a suspension. However, Jaxson Hayes may be the first one who’s been forced to miss a game for getting into it with a mascot after he was hit with a one-game ban for an incident that transpired when the Wizards hosted the Lakers.
The NBA has an uncanny ability to spawn some truly absurd stories, and there’s plenty of essential lore involving players who earned a suspension for some pretty strange reasons.
None of them springs to mind quicker than the incident where Gilbert Arenas brought multiple guns into the Wizards locker room over a gambling dispute, which led to him being sidelined for 50 games.
Ja Morant also earned two suspensions in the span of two months for his gun-related shenanigans in 2023, and while J.R. Smith never landed in trouble over firearms, he was forced to sit out for a game in 2018 after landing in hot water for throwing a hot bowl of soup at an assistant coach on the Cavaliers.
Now, we have a new entry in the canon courtesy of Jaxson Hayes.
Jaxson Hayes was suspended for a game for shoving the mascot for the Wizards before a game
The Lakers faced off against the Wizards on January 30th in what ended up being a very one-sided contest, as Los Angeles cruised to a 142-11 win on the road.
Jaxson Hayes ended up with 10 points while recording 14 minutes off the bench, but his decision to come off the bench before the game got underway ended up being a very costly one after it attracted the attention of the league.
On Wednesday, the NBA released a statement to announce Hayes will serve a one-game suspension when the Lakers play the 76ers on Thursday “for pushing a Washington Wizards mascot during pre-game introductions.”
The following has been released by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/l5eKjuBZLQ
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) February 4, 2026
The incident in question occurred as the mascot, G-Wiz, was running across the court with a flag before being sent flying into an unsuspecting cheerleader who was making their way onto the hardwood courtesy of the forceful shove Hayes was captured delivering.
Jaxson Hayes BODIED the Wizards mascot 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/u8fLd9zYiD
— NBACentel (@TheNBACentel) February 4, 2026
The 25-year-old signed a one-year, $3,449,323 contract with the Lakers ahead of the season, which means he’ll be coughing up a little over $42,000 for his troubles.