New York Knicks Claim $10M+ in Damages from Toronto Raptors

November 21, 2023 By admin Off

The Knicks are seeking over $10 million in damages from the Toronto Raptors in a lawsuit alleging the theft of thousands of confidential files. They argued that NBA commissioner Adam Silver shouldn’t arbitrate the case due to his close friendship with Raptors governor Larry Tanenbaum. The most recent filing, obtained by ESPN, was a response to the Raptors’ Oct. 16 motion to dismiss the Knicks’ initial complaint and have Silver arbitrate the dispute. The Knicks claimed that Tanenbaum’s position as the chairman of the NBA’s board of governors would create a conflict of interest and heavily influence Silver’s continued employment and salary. The complaint accused former Knicks employee Ikechukwu Azotam of sending the Raptors thousands of confidential files after the team began recruiting him to join their organization in summer 2023. It alleged that members of the Raptors “directed Azotam’s actions and/or knowingly benefited from Azotam’s wrongful acts.” This filing marked the first time the Knicks described potential monetary damages since they filed their initial complaint in August.