In light of the NBA reopening its investigation into Los Angeles Lakers big man Jaxson Hayes after footage surfaced of him getting physical with his then-girlfriend Sofia Jamora in 2021, ESPN’s Mark Fainaru-Wada has indicated that the league never spoke with Jamora during its initial investigation.
Hayes, who faced 12 charges at one point, avoided any form of punishment from the NBA after he pleaded no contest to misdemeanor counts of resisting an officer and false imprisonment. He was sentenced to probation, domestic violence classes and community service.
Waukeen McCoy and Laura Stone, attorneys for Jamora, said they remember being contacted by someone within the NBA’s legal department about the incident, but when McCoy returned the call and left a message, he allegedly never got a response.
“They didn’t follow up with me,” McCoy said. “If they were actually doing a thorough investigation, they would have reached out to her lawyer and obtained info from us.”
Mike Bass, a spokesman for the NBA, had a different story, however. He said that the league reached out to Stone multiple times but didn’t receive a response.
“An NBA investigator reached out multiple times to Laura Stone, Ms. Jamora’s representative, and we did not receive a response to our outreach,” Bass said.
McCoy and Stone shared that they haven’t heard from the NBA since the league reopened its investigation but said they would allow their client to speak to the league.
“If they’re investigating, we’re definitely going to encourage our client to cooperate,” they said.
The disturbing footage of Hayes and his former girlfriend was released by TMZ. The footage is over five minutes in length, and during it, Jamora can be heard pleading with Hayes to stop putting his hands on her and saying that she doesn’t feel safe.
Lakers C Jaxson Hayes, as was previously reported, was involved in an altercation w/ his then-GF Sofia Jamora in July 2021.
Footage has now surfaced (provided by someone close to SJ) showing the couple arguing, as Jamora pleads with Hayes to leave her home minutes before 2 AM.… pic.twitter.com/2yMd38zy0d
— michael j. babcock (@mikejbabcock) November 2, 2024
Police ended up arriving at the scene, and according to body cam footage, Hayes shoved and wrestled with an officer before he was placed in handcuffs. Per a deposition given by the officer in question, Hayes later paid him $150,000 to cover the cost of his injuries.
Jamora ultimately filed a civil lawsuit against Hayes and alleged that she suffered physical and emotional damage across a number of incidents. That lawsuit is ongoing.
Hayes was a member of the New Orleans Pelicans when everything went down. The nature of Hayes’ arrest led to an investigation into a possible use of excessive force by police.
Lakers fans should keep tabs on the outcome of the league’s investigation into Hayes, as it could impact his availability with the team and possibly his NBA future.
