The NBA is reopening the investigation into Jaxson Hayes after videos of him and his ex-girlfriend surfaced in 2021

Warning: This post contains descriptions of domestic violence.

The NBA is reopening its investigation into Los Angeles Lakers' Jaxson Hayes after a 2021 video of him and his ex-girlfriend was released.

“Based on the media report and video released this morning, we are reopening our investigation,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said in a statement to ESPN.

TMZ released the five-and-a-half-minute video early Sunday morning. It includes surveillance footage that shows Hayes and his then-girlfriend Sofia Jamora in an argument in which Hayes is seen pushing and spitting on her. At some point he is seen entering Jamora's room, whereupon a loud crash is heard and Jamora is heard screaming and begging him to stop.

Jaxson Hayes' arrest in July 2021

The video is from July 2021, when Hayes was with the New Orleans Pelicans, but the incident occurred in Los Angeles. Police were called and Hayes was arrested. He was originally charged with 12 misdemeanors for arguing with officers during his arrest. Those charges included three counts of assault on a spouse, two counts of domestic violence, one count of assault on a public servant, one count of false imprisonment, three counts of vandalism, one count of aggravated trespassing and one count of resisting arrest.

Hayes pleaded no contest to misdemeanors of false imprisonment and resisting an officer on Feb. 24, 2022. The other ten misdemeanors were dismissed. He was sentenced to three years probation, 450 hours of community service and one year of weekly domestic violence classes.

The NBA originally opened an investigation into Hayes following his arrest in July 2021, but took no disciplinary action.

Why is this coming three years later?

The NBA is reopening its investigation following the release of the video, but why was the video released now, more than three years after the incident?

According to ESPN, the video is part of a new lawsuit from Jamora's lawyers in which she accuses Hayes of compensating one of the officers involved in his arrest for unknown reasons.

“There has already been a comprehensive investigation in which we have been cooperating with the league, and if that investigation reopens, we will continue to do so,” a spokesman for Hayes told ESPN on Saturday.

A Lakers spokesman told ESPN the team is cooperating with the NBA. A spokeswoman for Jamora told ESPN that as a victim of domestic violence, she “welcomes” the investigation into Hayes' actions and will cooperate fully.