Knicks suing Raptors over former employee allegedly taking proprietary information, per report

The New York Knicks have sued the Toronto Raptors and several other participants in their group, in step with SNY’s Ian Begley. At the middle of the go well with is former Knicks employee Ikechukwu Azotam, whom Toronto started recruiting in June and in the end employed this offseason. The go well with alleges that Azotam “illegally procured and disclosed proprietary information” from the Knicks upon leaving the crew and shared that information with the Raptors.

“These files include confidential information such as play frequency reports, a prep book for the 2022-23 season, video scouting files and materials and more,” in step with a commentary issued to Begley. “Given the clear violation of our employment agreement, criminal and civil law, we were left no choice but to take this action.”

Azotam, a former assistant video coordinator for the Knicks who held a couple of positions between 2020-23, began getting recruited via Toronto in June and knowledgeable the Knicks that he used to be introduced a place in July, in step with Begley. The lawsuit alleges that he “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” below first-time head trainer Darko Rajakovic. 

Begley reported that the go well with claims that the Raptors “directed Azotam to misuse his access to the Knicks’ subscription to Synergy Sports to create and then transfer to the Raptors over 3,000 files consisting of film information and data.'” Synergy Sports is a video and analytics instrument ceaselessly utilized by each groups and media firms (together with CBS Sports).

Typically, disputes between groups are treated internally throughout the league. However, because of the imaginable criminal violations at play right here, the Knicks reputedly consider that what allegedly came about right here exceeds the scope of league self-discipline and wishes court docket intervention.