Wizards mascot Jackson Hayes apologizes to teammates after suspension

Los Angeles Lakers center Jackson Hayes returned to the court Saturday night in a 105-99 win over the Golden State Warriors after serving a one-game suspension for pushing Washington Wizards mascot G-Wiz during pregame introductions on Jan. 30. The incident, which occurred before the Lakers’ 142-111 win over the Capital One Wizards, whir Although the mascot was unharmed, The NBA suspended Hayes for one game without pay.

25 year old dealt with the incident following the Warriors game.

“Obviously he apologized to the team, the mascot,” he told reporters. “We’re all trying to get into a mental and physical space to get ready to go out and play the game, and when I kind of stretch and somebody steps on my leg, I might have lost it. I should have handled it differently, and we live, we learn, and so we’re just going to keep doing it again.”

Jackson Hayes apologized to his teammates and the Wizards mascot for the incident that led to his one-game suspension. However, he explained that the push was caused by the mascot stepping on his foot. pic.twitter.com/vKSHPskG4RI

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) February 8, 2026

Head coach JJ Redick confirmed that Hayes apologized internally and described it as a learning opportunity. Hayes did not play in Thursday’s 119-115 win against the Philadelphia 76ers because of the suspension, which came amid LA’s effort to maintain momentum and Luka Doncic sidelined with a hamstring injury. With Deandre Ayton also unavailable due to right knee soreness, Hayes stepped into the starting lineup, playing 20 minutes and contributing six points (3-4 FG), four rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block.

In 42 games this season, Hayes is averaging 6.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.4 steals and 0.6 blocks in 17.4 minutes per game, shooting 77.5% from the field and 64.0% from the free throw line. He was also selected to compete in the 2026 NBA Slam Dunk Contest February 14.

The incident involving G-Wiz is unusual in NBA history, as most player-mascot interactions are playful and rarely result in discipline. The league, led by executive vice president James Jones, has made it clear that it has zero tolerance for physical altercations with game-day personnel. While Hayes has faced legal trouble in the past, having been arrested in July 2021 for domestic violence and later sentenced in 2022 to probation, community service and mandatory classes, the league has taken no further disciplinary action.

With the win over Golden State, Los Angeles improved to 32-19, good for fifth place in the Western Conference, and remains one game behind the third-place Denver Nuggets. Hayes and the Lakers will next host the Oklahoma City Thunder at Cripto.com Arena on Monday at 10pm ET.