NBA-U.S. judge sends Knicks-Raptors dispute to NBA commissioner

MSG Knickerbockers

28/06/2024 23:58

By Rory Carroll
       June 28 (Reuters) - The New York Knicks' lawsuit that
accused rivals the Toronto Raptors of hiring a "mole" who gave
the Raptors scouting reports and other confidential material
should be resolved by the NBA, not the courts, a federal judge
in New York ruled on Friday.
    In a lawsuit filed last August the Knicks accused their
former video, analytics and player-development assistant
Ikechukwu Azotam of stealing thousands of proprietary files and
forwarding them to the Raptors.
    U.S. District Judge Jessica Clarke did not rule on the
case's merits but granted the Raptors' request to compel
arbitration, saying the NBA Constitution gave Commissioner Adam
Silver exclusive jurisdiction over disputes involving the two
teams.
    "The Raptors and (owner Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment)
are pleased that the court agreed this should be resolved by the
NBA, which we have maintained is the correct forum for disputes
of this nature," a Raptors spokesperson told Reuters. 
    "We hope this brings this matter closer to a resolution."
    The Knicks disagreed with the decision.    
    "We were the victim of a theft of proprietary and
confidential files in a clear violation of criminal and civil
law and are continuing to evaluate our legal options," a
spokesperson said. 
    "We don't think it's appropriate for the Commissioner of the
NBA to rule on a matter involving his boss, the Chairman of the
NBA, and his team," the spokesperson said, referring to Larry
Tanenbaum, who is the chairman of the NBA Board of Governors and
Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment.
    The NBA did not immediately respond to a request for
comment. 
    The Knicks first hired Azotam as a video coordinator in
2020. The lawsuit said Azotam was recruited by the Raptors
starting in June of that year and told the Knicks he had
received a job offer from them the following month.
    According to the lawsuit, Azotam began sending confidential
information to the Raptors around the same time, including
details about the Knicks' organizational structure, reports on
opponents' plays and tendencies, and game films edited by its
scouting team.
    The Knicks had requested an unspecified amount of damages
and asked the court to permanently block the Raptors and Azotam
from misusing their trade secrets.
    

 (Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; editing by Diane
Craft)
 ((Rory.Carroll@thomsonreuters.com Follow me on Twitter
@rorydcarroll; 503-830-8017;))