Mascot shove earns NBA player a one-game suspension

Los Angeles Lakers big man Jaxson Hayes was handed a one-game suspension by the NBA ‘for pushing a Washington Wizards mascot during pregame introductions,’ the league said in a statement on Wednesday, Feb. 4.

Hayes shoved the Wizards’ mascot, G-Wiz, during pregame introductions before the Jan. 30 game in Washington. The mascot had been running with a giant flag when Hayes, 25, made contact, sending the mascot careening into cheerleaders running onto the court, video of the incident shows.

The Lakers will be without Hayes for Thursday night’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers.

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