Overview
- The shove occurred Jan. 30 during pregame introductions at Capital One Arena, knocking the Washington Wizards’ mascot, G‑Wiz, to the floor.
- NBA executive James Jones issued a one-game suspension without pay for Hayes, which he served by missing the Lakers’ game against the 76ers.
- Following his return Saturday, Hayes told reporters he lost his composure after his foot was stepped on and said he should have handled the moment differently.
- Head coach JJ Redick said Hayes owned the mistake and apologized internally, with no injury reported for the mascot and no further league discipline announced.
- Hayes started against the Warriors and logged 20 minutes with six points, four rebounds, and three stocks, was selected for the 2026 Slam Dunk Contest, and Maxi Kleber covered minutes during his absence.