It’s a full-court press.
The Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center are suing a Flatbush car service for allegedly reneging on a $4.5 million sponsorship deal, according to a new lawsuit.
Other than cutting one check that bounced like a basketball, Pia Car Limo made no other payments, according to papers filed in Manhattan Supreme Court last week.
Pia and the team/arena cemented an agreement in December 2011 — in exchange for sponsorship fees, Pia was granted exclusive rights, including being crowned the team’s official car service provider for seven years.
Other sweet perks for Pia included access to special entrances and elevators in the $1 billion arena, catered dining and suite attendants.
In return, Pia was to pony up $353,000 to Barclays and $187,000 to the Nets for the first year, with annual payments increasing by 5 percent over the next six years.
But the company missed its first payments, which were due last April and then dispatched a check for $560,000 in June — but warned that it couldn’t be cashed for six weeks, the complaint reads. When the check was deposited a month and a half later, “it was returned uncashed due to insufficient funds.”
“If you sign a contract with us, we expect you to fulfill the terms,” said Barclays Center and Brooklyn Nets spokesman Barry Baum. “We gave the car service every opportunity to pay the initial installment, but it didn’t happen.”
By last August, the arena/Nets benched Pia and now seek the full value of the $4.5 million contract, plus interest. Pia President Iftikhar Ahmed could not be reached, and an employee at the company would not comment.