Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri kept it short but now sweet when he addressed, for the first time, the ongoing lawsuit filed against them by conference rival New York Knicks over allegations of conspiring to steal trade secrets.
“There has been one time a team has sued a team in the NBA. One time. Go figure,” Ujiri told reporters during Monday’s Media Day in Toronto.
Masai Ujiri on the Knicks’ lawsuit 👀
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On August 21, the Knicks filed the lawsuit against the Raptors, Knicks former employee Ike Azotam, and some members of the organization led by new head coach Darko Rajaković.
The lawsuit claims that Rajaković, a first-time head coach, and the other Raptors defendants “conspired to use Azotam’s position as a current Knicks insider to funnel proprietary information to the Raptors to help them organize, plan, and structure the new coaching and video operations staff.”
According to the lawsuit, they have also directed Azotam to misuse his access to the Knicks’ subscription to Synergy Sports to create and then transfer to the Raptors defendants over 3,000 files consisting of film information and data.
On August 11, 2023, the Knicks alleged Azotam forwarded from his Knicks email account to his Raptors email account the scouting report for their final regular-season game against the Indiana Pacers and an advanced scouting report of the Denver Nuggets. He also forwarded several confidential documents to his personal Gmail account, such as the Knicks’ prep book for the 2022-23 season, and a play frequency report for the Dallas Mavericks shared with the Raptors defendants.
The Knicks seek unspecified damages and prevent the Raptors from using their trade secrets.
Still No NBA Action on Knicks Lawsuit
The NBA has yet to step in to resolve the ongoing legal battle between the Raptors and the Knicks. But league commissioner Adam Silver said in September that he would respond to the case at the appropriate time.
“On that dispute, I don’t know more than what I read in the complaint that was filed in federal court, and so I don’t have a sense yet of how egregious it is, and I haven’t had an opportunity to see what the Raptors response is,” Silver told reporters in a media conference on September 13. “This ultimately may end up in front of me, so I think it’s appropriate to withhold judgment.”
Adam Silver on Knicks suing Raptors: “On that dispute I don’t know more than what I read in the complaint that was filed in federal court, & so I don’t have a sense yet of how egregious it is, and I haven’t had an opportunity to see what the Raptors response is. This ultimately…
On the same day the lawsuit was filed, the Raptors immediately issued a statement denying involvement in the Knicks’ allegations.
“MLSE and the Toronto Raptors received a letter from MSG on Thursday of last week bringing this complaint to our attention. MLSE responded promptly, making clear our intention to conduct an internal investigation and to fully cooperate,” the statement said via The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov.
Immanuel Quickley Says Obi Toppin Is Still His Guy
Immanuel Quickley will enter his first season without without his draft classmate and New York Knicks‘ best friend Obi Toppin by his side.
The Knicks traded Toppin, their 2020 NBA Draft lottery pick, traded him to the Indiana Pacers for a pair of late second-round picks.
“That’s my guy,” Quickley told reporters during the Knicks Media Day on Monday. “He got traded. It’s business. It happens. We move on with the team that we have now. Obi’s still my guy. We still text and call and stuff like that.”
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Raptors President Masai Ujiri Breaks Silence On Knicks Lawsuit