Ikechukwu Azotam was the director of video/analytics/player development on Tom Thibodeau’s Knicks staff last season, but was recruited to join new coach Darko Rajakovic’s staff with the Toronto Raptors.
However, when he left he took “thousands of proprietary files with him,” according to a lawsuit filed by the Knicks and Madison Square Garden against Azotam, Maple Leaf Sports Entertainment (MLSE, the owners of the Raptors), Rajakovic and others. Ian Begley of SNY.TV broke what is a wild story.
Raptors ownership released this statement on the matter.
The lawsuit hinges on a confidentiality clause that Azotam allegedly signed, and the idea of taking these files violated that agreement. The very detailed suit alleges, essentially, that Azotam was a mole and while he informed the Knicks of his intention to join the Raptors he took files from the Knicks’ Synergy account and other spots — including internal scouting reports, play frequency reports, prep books — and then sent them to his GMail so that he could share them with the Raptors. The suit also says first-time head coach Rajakovic needed to do this because his “non-traditional path to his head coaching job” meant he didn’t have the organizational structure or coaching method, so he took the Knicks’.
It’s a wild lawsuit in part because this is a league where coaches — assistants and head coaches — and front office personnel jump teams all the time. Information moves that way a lot. The fact this went to court, and the eventual outcome, could have huge ramifications around the NBA. Whether what Azotam did was unusual or worthy of the damages the Knicks seek in the civil suit now will be up to a judge. The only real winner in all of this may end up being the lawyers.
Also, you can probably rule out that OG Aunuoby trade to the Knicks talk now.
