The performer behind the Washington Wizards’ mascot, G-Wiz, has secured legal representation following an on-court shoving incident involving Los Angeles Lakers forward Jaxson Hayes during pregame introductions on January 30 in Washington.
Attorney Waukeen McCoy confirmed he now represents the mascot performer and indicated that legal action remains a possibility depending on how the situation is handled.
“We will give them the opportunity to resolve the matter before taking legal action,” McCoy said. “But legal action is anticipated.” He added that additional parties could ultimately be drawn into the dispute and confirmed the performer suffered injuries, stating, “All I want to say at the moment is that he was injured.”
In response to the altercation, the NBA suspended Hayes for one game. He served the suspension during the Lakers’ matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers at Crypto.com Arena before returning to the lineup for the team’s following contest. The league’s discipline addressed only the pregame incident in Washington.
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After serving his suspension, Hayes said he apologized both to his teammates and to the mascot performer involved in the incident.
“We live, and we learn,” Hayes said, explaining that the shove occurred after the mascot stepped on his foot while he was stretching before the game. His remarks marked his first public account of the altercation since the league handed down its discipline.
Jaxson Hayes’ Prior Legal History Connects Attorney to Earlier Domestic Violence
Waukeen McCoy’s involvement links the current dispute to a previous legal matter involving Jaxson Hayes and model Sofia Jamora. The San Francisco-based attorney represented Jamora in a domestic violence lawsuit that settled in June 2025, which he later described as having been resolved amicably.
The earlier case stemmed from a 2021 arrest after authorities responded to a domestic violence call involving Jamora. Hayes later received three years of probation, community service obligations, and domestic violence classes connected to that incident.
In 2024, the NBA announced it would reopen its investigation after video footage from 2021 surfaced publicly, though the league ultimately did not impose additional discipline related to that matter.
Following the January 30 confrontation in Washington, McCoy criticized the NBA’s disciplinary approach, contrasting the one-game suspension for the on-court shove with the absence of league punishment tied to prior domestic violence allegations.
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His comments underscored the broader legal and disciplinary context surrounding Hayes as the mascot performer considers potential action. Hayes has since resumed active participation with the Lakers after completing his suspension.
