Raptors respond after reported lawsuit from another NBA team

The Toronto Raptors have responded after a report indicating that another NBA team is suing them.

The New York Knicks are suing the Raptors and several members of the organization, according to a report from Alex Smith and Ian Begley of SNY. A statement from an MSG spokesperson told SNY that a lawsuit was filed after an ex-Knicks employee “illegally took thousands of proprietary files with him to his new position” with the Raptors.

In a statement shared with Daily Hive, the Raptors indicated they received a letter from MSG, the company that owns the Knicks, and that they intend to conduct an internal investigation. The Raptors have denied any involvement in the “matters alleged.”

“MLSE and the Toronto Raptors received a letter from MSG on Thursday of last week bringing this complaint to our attention,” the statement reads. “MLSE responded promptly, making clear our intention to conduct an internal investigation and to fully cooperate. MLSE has not been advised that a lawsuit was being filed or has been filed following its correspondence with MSG.

“The company strongly denies any involvement in the matters alleged. MLSE and the Toronto Raptors will reserve further comment until this matter has been resolved to the satisfaction of both parties.”

A person of interest is reportedly Ikechukwu “Ike” Azotam, who Toronto added to their staff over the course of this offseason, with Azotam allegedly sharing the files with newly hired head coach Darko Rajaković and player development coach Noah Lewis.

You might also like:
• New York Knicks suing Raptors and several team employees: report