HOOPSWORLD | Basketball News & NBA Rumors

Cuttino Mobley filed a lawsuit against Madison Square Garden, accusing the New York Knicks of pressuring him to retire in an effort to save approximately $19 million.

The former NBA guard retired because of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy – a thickening of the heart wall – shortly after the Knicks acquired him from the Los Angeles Clippers on Nov. 21, 2008.

The lawsuit, which was filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, contends that the NBA club knew of Mobley’s health issue, but elected to make the trade anyway.

Mobley’s suit also notes that the team sent him to specialists it knew would oppose him playing, therefore having insurance pay his contract and it wouldn’t count against the luxury tax.

Mobley, 36, hasn’t played since the 2008-09 season.

“When the Knicks obtained Cuttino in November of 2008, the team fully expected him to be our starting shooting guard. It was a significant set-back to our team when we learned he would not be able to play following initial reports from his physical,” the Knicks said in a statement.

“The team and Cuttino agreed he would then see top experts, including doctors at Tufts Medical Center in Boston and additional experts, for various opinions. On the day of his retirement, Cuttino publicly stated that he had no choice but to follow the advice of the doctors and step away from the league. We are confident Cuttino’s claims have no merit and will not prevail.”