Knicks and Raptors Settle Legal Dispute Over Theft of Information
The New York Knicks and the Toronto Raptors have reached an agreement to voluntarily dismiss a lawsuit filed in 2023, related to the alleged theft of thousands of confidential files. According to court documents, both franchises have resolved the dispute. Team spokespersons issued a joint statement.The lawsuit, filed by the Knicks in August 2023, sought compensation of more than $10 million. The Knicks accused the Raptors of recruiting Ikechukwu Azotam, who worked for New York from 2020 to 2023, and of soliciting inside information from him after Toronto began recruiting him in the summer of 2023. The Knicks argued that this action was intended to give the Raptors a competitive advantage. Specifically, the Knicks alleged that Azotam, who served as assistant video coordinator and then as director of video/analytics/assistant player development, sent the Raptors thousands of confidential files, including play frequency reports, a preparation book for the 2022-23 season, video scouting files, and opposition research. The Knicks claimed that Azotam acted at the request of the Raptors, who, according to them, were trying to “organize, plan and structure the new video and training operations staff,” according to the August 2023 complaint. The Raptors, Azotam, Toronto coach Darko Rajaković, player development coach Noah Lewis, and 10 “unknown” employees were listed as defendants in the lawsuit. In an October 2023 court filing, the Raptors called the Knicks’ allegations “baseless” and a “public relations stunt.” The Raptors argued that the “alleged ‘data theft’ involved little more than publicly available information, compiled through public sources easily accessible to all NBA members.” The Raptors repeatedly sought the intervention of NBA commissioner Adam Silver to resolve the dispute, and a judge in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in Lower Manhattan agreed. The case was voluntarily dismissed with prejudice, which means it is dismissed permanently.“The Knicks and Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (owners of the Raptors) have withdrawn their respective claims and the matter is resolved. The parties are focused on the future.”
