The New York Knicks are intensifying their legal battle against the Toronto Raptors, demanding more than $10 million in their ongoing lawsuit.
According to Stefan Bondy of New York Post, the Knicks allege a compromised relationship between NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and Raptors’ minority owner Larry Tanenbaum, questioning Silver’s ability to remain impartial due to Tanenbaum’s influential role within the league.
Central to the Knicks’ argument is the claim that Tanenbaum’s position as Chairman of the Board of Governors, Silver’s boss, creates a conflict of interest that jeopardizes the fairness of any NBA-led resolution.
Furthermore, the Knicks contend that Tanenbaum’s election as Chairman was orchestrated by the NBA, specifically Silver, implying a rigged process to favor their preferred candidate.
The lawsuit originated from allegations that former Knicks video coordinator Ike Azotam, now with the Raptors, collaborated with his new team to steal confidential scouting and analytics secrets, including a substantial collection of videos.
The Raptors had previously asserted that this was an internal NBA matter, subject to league arbitration. However, the Knicks counter this by emphasizing the substantial damages they are seeking, exceeding the commissioner’s penalty limit of $10 million.
