The Toronto Raptors have filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed in opposition to the group and quite a lot of contributors in their training workforce via the New York Knicks in August. In their submitting, which was once received via CBS Sports, the Raptors dismiss the swimsuit as “baseless” and call it a “public relations stunt” via the Knicks.
Back in August, the Knicks sued the Raptors, along side new head trainer Darko Rajakovic, participant building trainer Noah Lewis and head of video and assistant participant building trainer Ikechukwu Azotam, who’s on the heart of the Knicks’ swimsuit.
Azotam prior to now labored for the Knicks from 2020-23, and is accused of the use of his place to scouse borrow “proprietary information,” together with “play frequency reports, a prep book for the 2022-23 season, video scouting files and materials and more” ahead of becoming a member of the Raptors. The Knicks allege that Azotam did so below the path of Rajakovic and others so as to assist the first-year head trainer “organize, plan, and structure the new coaching and video operations staff.”
All such claims have been denied via the Raptors, each on the time of the Knicks’ swimsuit and of their contemporary motion. Here is extra from the Raptors’ submitting:
The proven fact that the Knicks elected to start their motion on this discussion board in spite of the overpowering infirmities of this lawsuit and the shortcoming of the Court to grant the Knicks advised reduction can most effective be defined via a fear that pursuit in their claims in the right kind discussion board would obtain no public consideration and could be denied via the NBA Commissioner.
The Knicks’ behavior from the outset of this dispute leaves indisputably that their function has been to elicit damaging press consideration in opposition to the Named Defendants slightly than the pursuit of legitimate claims.
While the Raptors’ submitting does admit that Azotam used his Knicks credentials to download recordsdata whilst looking ahead to his Raptors credentials, it asserts that he would have had get admission to to the very same information together with his Raptors’ credentials.
“These were not the Knicks’ team and player statistics, play frequency data, player tendencies or play calls,” the submitting states. “But rather those of other NBA teams — including particularly the Raptors’ own game film — compiled from video of their games accessible to all NBA teams (and, indeed, the general public). In other words, they were far from confidential, let alone trade secrets.”
Rajakovic additionally addressed the lawsuit right through the Raptors’ media day previous this month. “I was surprised,” he mentioned. “I was shocked. I did not know where it was coming from. 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.”
In a remark provided to ESPN on Monday, MSG defended the lawsuit.
“As we have previously stated, given the theft of proprietary and confidential files and clear violation of criminal and civil law, we were left no choice but to take this to federal court and are confident the judicial system will agree.”