The NBA is set to reopen its investigation into a 2021 incident involving Los Angeles Lakers star Jaxson Hayes and his then-girlfriend Sofia Jamora after shocking new images emerged over the weekend.
Hayes, who was playing for the New Orleans Pelicans when the incident occurred, was arrested in July 2021 after police responded to a domestic disturbance call in Woodland Hills, California.
Nearly a year later, the 24-year-old was sentenced to three years of probation, 450 hours of community service and one year of weekly domestic violence cases after pleading no contest to resisting arrest and false imprisonment.
Despite the legal verdict, the NBA decided not to sanction Hayes after its own investigation. However, three years after the incident, that could now change with the league’s reopening of the investigation.
Early Sunday morning, sports shared five and a half minutes of security camera footage of the dispute in question between Hayes and Jamora.
LA Lakers star Jaxson Hayes seen spitting on his then-girlfriend in shocking new images
Hayes (left) was arrested in 2021 over a dispute between him and his partner Sofia Jamora (right)
The Lakers center first appeared to pull his then-girlfriend out of a door around 1:35 a.m. as she said, ‘Stop! Let go of me!’
After running into another room off-camera, Hayes followed her before yelling, ‘What the fuck is wrong with you?’
Jamora, who had initially blamed Hayes’ dogs for injuring his youngest pup before the argument broke out, can be heard telling his partner to “get out” before he finally reappeared on the Ring camera around 1 :47am.
The basketball player’s cousin tried to calm him down to no avail as he returned to Jamora’s room before a loud crash was heard. The latter seemed to scream in pain as he asked him to stop once again.
Shortly after 2 a.m., the couple was shown leaving the residence and continuing their argument in the driveway as Jamora said, “I’m not going to let you hit me anymore.” What the fuck do I look like, a punching bag?
Not long after making that comment, Hayes appeared to push Jamora aside and walk away, before turning around to spit in his direction in an unpleasant moment.
The influencer was then heard telling his cousin to get him out of the premises before admitting: “I don’t know what else to do.”
Jamora can be heard accusing Hayes of hitting her in security camera footage of the incident.
The NBA is now preparing to reopen its investigation into the Lakers center three years later
Photos taken after the incident show Jamora’s legs and arms covered in bruises.
“Following the media report and video released this morning, we have reopened our investigation,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said, according to ESPN.
A spokesperson for Hayes told the network that they are prepared to cooperate with the NBA once again after having done so in the past.
Hayes was seen pushing an officer before he was Tasered and arrested after the incident in 2021, before telling officers that the woman was his girlfriend and that he had been “throwing some things” while they argued.
Lawyers representing Jamora filed a lawsuit against the NBA star on Tuesday, which allegedly alleges that Robert T. Tamate, the officer with whom Hayes got into a fight, had previously met with his attorneys and was compensated by him for ” unknown reasons.”
Hayes signed a two-year, $4.6 million deal with the Lakers in 2023, after finishing his five-year stint with the Pelicans.
