Wizards Mascot Taking Legal Action Against Lakers Center

The Washington Wizards have had quite an uneventful season on the court. They currently have a 14-38 record, which is second-worst in the East and third-worst in the NBA. Although the on-court product has been lackluster, off the court has provided some headlines.

The most notable spark was the trade deadline, when the team acquired All-Stars Anthony Davis and Trae Young. These two moves have fans excited and dreaming of next season. Yet the players are not the only ones causing headlines, as Wizards mascot G-Wiz is suing Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes.

What Happened

The whole reason G-Wiz, beloved mascot of the Wizards, is taking legal action against Hayes stems from their matchup in Washington a few weeks ago. Right before the game started, Hayes shoved G-Wiz, and the broadcast caught this action. The Wizards lost to the Lakers that night, losing 142-111. At first, it was brushed off until the NBA took matters into its own hands.

On February 4, Shams Charania of ESPN reported that the league suspended Hayes for one game due to the incident in Washington. Hayes served his suspension and then talked to the media about his incident. He said he apologized not just to his teammates, but also to the individual who is the mascot.

Hayes said to the media, "I obviously apologized to the team and to the mascot. We all try to get ourselves in the mental space and get ready to go out and play the game, and when I am stretching and someone steps on my foot, might have lost it. Should have handled it a different way, and we live, and we learn." 

However, the individual who served as the mascot that night is reportedly considering legal action against Hayes, per TMZ Sports. The mascot hired Waukeen McCoy, who is the same attorney who represented Sofia Jamora in her domestic abuse case against Hayes.

McCoy gave a statement to TMZ, saying, "We will give them the opportunity to resolve the matter before taking legal action, but legal action is anticipated."

The person behind the mascot suffered injuries during the altercation with Hayes. This was confirmed when attorney McCoy was asked if the mascot suffered injuries, and he responded with, "All I want to say at the moment is that he was injured."

In the meantime, G-Wiz will be heading to All-Star weekend as a mascot at the festivities. It is assumed that the person inside the G-Wiz costume will be someone other than the person injured by Hayes.