ESPN.com NBA Writer Sues Peter Vecsey For Libel

By Marcus Vanderberg on June 16, 2011 3:51 PM

ESPN.com NBA writer Chris Sheridan has sued New York Post columnist Peter Vecsey and NYP Holding for libel.

In the lawsuit, Sheridan claims the New York Post “published a maliciously false article” that impugned “Chris Sheridan’s veracity and competence as a journalist.”

The column in question is from Dec. 14 regarding the New York Knicks pursuit of Carmelo Anthony:

Don’t get me wrong; real reporters almost always break their news over the heart of the plate. Last week, ESPN’s Marc Stein scooped everyone on the NBA buying the Hornets. Last July, ESPN’s Chris Broussard scooped us all, including the TV segment of his nitwork, with the anonymously sourced word LeBron James had chosen Miami.

Broussard did a good job and I told him so. But what about his 20 or so colleagues whose educated speculation had LeBron staying in Cleveland, leaning toward New York, embracing Derrick Rose in Chicago, or falling under Jay-Z’s spell in New Jersey?Naturally, ESPN took full credit for Broussard getting it right and ignored that its other correspondents had relied on imaginary or spurious sources . . . a concept that unfailingly works well.

No doubt the same fountains of misinformation that frequently play make-believe with ESPN’s Chris Sheridan, whose latest fairy tale had Carmelo Anthony notifying the Nuggets he won’t accept a trade to any team but the Knicks.

Two days prior, Sheridan reported Anthony wouldn’t sign a contract extension unless he was traded to the Knicks. We all know where Carmelo eventually landed up.

Really guys? A lawsuit? Over that?

[H/T The Big Lead]