New video leads NBA to reopen investigation into Lakers’ Hayes

The NBA is reopening an investigation into a 2021 incident involving Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes after TMZ posted a video Saturday of the altercation between him and his then-girlfriend.

“As a result of the media report and video posted this morning, we are reopening our investigation,” NBA spokesperson Mike Bass told ESPN in a statement.

TMZ posted 5½ minutes of security camera footage from an incident showing Hayes — then a member of the New Orleans Pelicans — arguing with Sofia Jamora. The video shows Hayes appearing to pull Jamora out of a doorway while she can be heard saying, “Stop. Let go of me.” Hayes can be heard replying, “What the f— is wrong with you?”

Footage from a Ring camera is time-stamped July 28, 2021, starting at 1:35 a.m.

Hayes and Jamora then are shown leaving the residence and continuing their argument in the driveway. “I’m not going to let you hit me anymore,” Jamora can be heard saying in the video. “What the f— do I look like, a punching bag?”

Not long after that comment, the video shows Hayes walking away from Jamora then turning his head back to spit in her direction.

The Los Angeles Police Department responded to the scene in Woodland Hills, California, after a domestic disturbance call, and Hayes was arrested. In June 2022, he was sentenced to three years of probation, 450 hours of community service and a year of weekly domestic violence classes.

The NBA did not discipline Hayes following its initial investigation into the arrest.

“There has already been an extensive investigation that we cooperated with the league on, and as that investigation reopens, we will continue to do so,” a spokesperson for Hayes told ESPN on Saturday.

Hayes was ordered to pay restitution at the time, according to Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office spokesperson Rob Wilcox.

Police body camera video showed Hayes scuffling with officers and being hit twice with an electronic stun gun after they ordered him out of the home while they sought to question a woman inside. Hayes told officers that the woman was his girlfriend and that she had been “throwing some stuff” at him while they argued.

Hayes was treated at a hospital after the altercation. An officer thrown against a wall by Hayes was treated for an elbow injury.

Although more than three years have passed since the incident, there was new litigation this week.

A lawsuit filed Tuesday by attorneys representing Jamora and obtained by ESPN alleges that Robert T. Tamate, the officer with whom Hayes scuffled, had “previously met with Hayes’s attorneys and was compensated monetarily by Hayes for unknown reasons.”

“We understand that the NBA has a no-tolerance policy against domestic violence, and therefore the victim welcomes any further investigation into Hayes’ actions and will cooperate with said investigation,” a spokesperson for Jamora told ESPN.

Hayes signed a two-year, $4.6 million contract with the Lakers in the summer of 2023.

“I think the most important thing is we take those things very seriously and do a full vetting process,” Rob Pelinka, Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager, told reporters at the time when asked about signing Hayes. “Jaxson has been very sincere [with] his apologies around handling that and has moved beyond it to where he’s had a year or two in the NBA playing after it. It was something that we felt like he owned, took responsibility for it and is going to be a better person on the other side of it.”

A Lakers spokesperson contacted Saturday night told ESPN, “We are cooperating with the league.”

Hayes declined to speak to reporters Sunday following the Lakers’ practice in Toronto.

Lakers coach JJ Redick echoed the team’s statement.

“We’re obviously aware that the investigation has been reopened, and we’re going to cooperate fully,” Redick said after practice. “But other than that, I’m not going to have another comment on that.”

Hayes, 24, is averaging 5.0 points and 4.2 rebounds in 15.7 minutes per game for the Lakers in their 4-2 start to the season.

ESPN’s Baxter Holmes and The Associated Press contributed to this report.