Report: MLSE Ask Judge to Dismiss Knicks' Lawsuit Directed at Raptors
Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment, the company that owns the Toronto Raptors, has formally refuted allegations from the New York Knicks calling the alleged scheme to steal proprietary information from New York “baseless” and a “publicity stunt,” according to SNY’s Ian Begley.
The organization has asked a judge to dismiss the lawsuit from the Knicks.
“As the Knicks surely expected and presumably intended, the filing of this lawsuit — virtually unprecedented between two members of the NBA or, frankly, two teams in any North American professional sports league — generated significant publicity,” MLSE wrote in its motion, per The Athletic. “The effect of such a public accusation of wrongdoing in federal court was to tarnish the stellar reputations of Messrs. [Darko] Rajaković, [Noah] Lewis, and [Ike] Azotam, as well as MLSE, and to chill present and future Knicks’ employees from their pursuit of employment with other members.”
The lawsuit alleged that Raptors assistant coach Ike Azotam, who remains a member of the organization in Toronto, stole proprietary information from the Knicks and acted as a “mole” for Toronto over the summer as he began the process of changing teams. It further alleges Raptors head coach Darko Rajaković organized the scheme to pirate the information.
“I did not know where it’s coming from,” Rajaković said on Media Day earlier this month. “Obviously, the lawsuit is ongoing. I cannot make way too many comments on it. What I can say is, I know who I am. I know how my parents raised me. I know what I see every single day when I look in the mirror. I know that there’s nothing that I should be worried about. And I cannot wait for this lawsuit to be over so everybody can find the truth.”
Raptors president Masai Ujiri dismissed the lawsuit during his Media Day availability, noting it’s the first time in league history one NBA team has suited another.
“The fact that the Knicks elected to commence their action in this forum … can only be explained by a concern that pursuit of their claims in the proper forum would receive no public attention and would be denied by the NBA Commissioner,” the motion to dismiss said according to the Athletic. “The Knicks’ conduct from the outset of this dispute leaves no doubt that their goal has been to elicit negative press attention against the Named Defendants rather than the pursuit of valid claims.”
NBA commissioner Adam Silver declined to comment on the lawsuit last month.
