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 footage emerged over the weekend.
Hayes, who was playing for the New Orleans Pelicans when the incident took place, was arrested in July 2021 after police responded to a domestic disturbance call in Woodland Hills, California.
Almost one year later the 24-year-old was sentenced to three years of probation, 450 hours of community service and a year of weekly domestic violence cases after pleading no contest to resisting arrest and false imprisonment.
Despite the legal verdict, the NBA chose not to discipline Hayes following its own investigation. Yet three years on from the incident that could now change with the league reopening that investigation.
Early Sunday morning, TMZ 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 is seen spitting at his then-girlfriend in shocking new footage
Hayes (left) was arrested in 2021 over a dispute between him and partner Sofia Jamora (right)
The Lakers center first appeared to pull his then-girlfriend out of a doorway at around 1:35am while she said: ‘Stop! Let go of me!’
After she ran into another room off-camera, Hayes followed her before shouting: ‘What the f*** is wrong with you?’
Jamora, who had initially blamed Hayes’ dogs for injuring her smaller pup before the argument broke out, can be heard telling her partner to ‘get out’ before he eventually reappeared on the Ring cam at 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 then appeared to shout in pain while asking him to stop once again.
Just after 2am, the couple were 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 f*** do I look like, a punching bag?’
Not long after she made that comment, Hayes appeared to shove Jamora aside and walk away, before turning around to spit in her direction in a disgusting moment.
The influencer was then heard telling his cousin to get him off 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 set to reopen its investigation into the Lakers center three years on
Photos taken after the incident show Jamora’s legs and arms covered in bruises.
‘As a result of the media report and video posted this morning, we are reopening our investigation,’ NBA spokesman Mike Bass is quoted as saying by ESPN.
A spokesperson for Hayes told the network they are prepared to cooperate with the NBA once again after doing so in the past.
Hayes was seen pushing an officer before he was tasered and arrested after the incident in 2021, before telling officers the woman was his girlfriend and that she had been ‘throwing some stuff’ while they argued.
Attorneys representing Jamora filed a lawsuit against the NBA star on Tuesday, which reportedly alleges that Robert T. Tamate, the officer whom Hayes scuffled with, had previously met with his attorneys and was compensated by him for ‘unknown reasons’.
Hayes put pen to paper on a two-year, $4.6million contract with the Lakers in 2023 after ending his five-year stint with the Pelicans.
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