The Knicks have just filed a lawsuit against the Raptors, and the company that controls the club, Maple Leaf Sports Entertainment (MLSE). For what ? The New York franchise thus accuses a former assistant, Ike Azotam, of having joined Toronto and its new coach, Darko Rajakovic, this summer by taking confidential information.
According to the complaint, reported by The Athleticthe former head of video and player development for the Knicks allegedly stole “scouting reports, including how often game systems are used, a prep book, and a link to third-party licensed software”.
The Knicks ensure that Ike Azotam transferred thousands of videos from his work email to his personal email when he was recruited to join Darko Rajakovic’s staff.
“To help this rookie coach do his job, defendant Rajakovic and the other Raptors defendants conspired to use Azotam’s position as a Knicks employee to pass proprietary information to the Raptors, in an attempt to help organize, plan and structure the new training and video operations staff »can also be read in the complaint.
On the side of Toronto, it is the surprise. The Raptors thus confirm in a press release that they were informed of the situation last week, committing to conduct an internal investigation to clear things up.
But the Canadian club did not expect to have to face a trial…
“MLSE and the Toronto Raptors received a letter from MSG last Thursday bringing this matter to our attention”explains MLSE in its press release. “MLSE responded quickly, making clear its intention to conduct an internal investigation and cooperate fully. MLSE was not made aware that a lawsuit was pending or had been filed as a result of its correspondence with MSG. The company strongly denies any involvement in the alleged facts. MLSE and the Toronto Raptors will refrain from further comment until this matter has been resolved to the satisfaction of both parties. »
In short, the Knicks are accusing Ike Azotam of illegally taking some of his work with him when he joined the Raptors, while the New York franchise considers these files to be his.
