Within days of one another, both stars filed trademarks related to the 'Iceman' moniker.
NBA Hall of Famer George Gervin, who used the same moniker as Williams while playing in the NBA from 1972 to 1986 , recently filed his own trademark application for the nickname shortly after the Bears' QB attempted to trademark it himself.
Now, the United States Patent and Trademark Office will review both applications and determine which party is allowed to profit from the nickname's use.On March 16, Williams filed four trademark applications regarding his "Iceman" title: one related to a name, one related to a logo and two related to silhouettes of his game-winning pass to Rome Odunze in the Bears' playoff win over the Packers in January. Four days later, in response to Williams, Gervin filed trademark applications for "Iceman" and "Iceman 44," the latter an homage to his jersey number.Gervin, 73, insists he is not acting out of malice; he is simply hoping to hold on to something he long believed was his. In his application, he made clear that the "Iceman" nickname was associated with him well before Williams was even born.. "He's already proved greatness and his potential upside is great. Like an 'Iceman.' But that name is taken. … All I'm saying is: Young fella, we've already got one 'Iceman.'" Apparently, the president of Gervin Global Management also believed Gervin already had a trademark on the nickname, and that the confusion there was the result of the death of a business associate.. "All they've got to do is one Google search and they'll see hundreds and hundreds of articles on the 'Iceman,' George Gervin."The issue will now be handled by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The review process could take over a year, depending.Colloquially, there's a good chance both players can and will still share the nickname in the media or among fans, outcome aside; what the trademark decision will affect, however, is the ability to profit from it. Only the winner will be able to do that.In 1978, Gervin was photographed sitting on a throne of ice and wearing an "ICE"-emblazoned silver tracksuit for a Nike poster. The phrase "ICEMAN" was included across the bottom of the picture in bold letters. This campaign is what really popularized Gervin's connection to the name, though it also stemmed from his cool attitude and slick jump shots during games.“My Iceman poster has been out forever.” Asked why he never trademarked the name before, Gervin said: "You know what? We don’t do a lot of things. You know what I’m saying?”Notably, Gervin did meet another Iceman once, well before Williams popped on the scene: Chicago singer Jerry Butler. The shared moniker didn't bother Gervin in that instance, however, because he and Butler were famous for different reasons, he told theWilliams made a number of clutch, game-winning plays last season, when he led the Bears to the top of the NFC North and the divisional round of the 2025 playoffs. As a result, fans would often say he had "ice in his veins," especially late in games. Williams then leaned into the nickname with a matching celebration in which he crossed his arms and rubbed both his shoulders, as though he were cold.Brigid Kennedy is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, she covered political news, sporting news and culture at TheWeek.com before moving to Livingetc, an interior design magazine. She is a graduate of Syracuse University, dual majoring in television, radio and film and marketing managment . Offline, she enjoys going to the movies, reading and watching the Steelers.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Mauricio Pochettino Overlooks ‘Logic’ to Rate USMNT’s World Cup ChancesThe Stars and Stripes have a tough path to a potential World Cup final this summer.
Read more »
Boston College Men's Hockey Defenseman Signs Contract With Dallas StarsThe Eagles' top defenseman is headed to the NHL after their season came to a close in the Hockey East Semifinals.
Read more »
Federal Bill Introduced to Rename Palm Beach International Airport After Donald J. TrumpU.S. Representative Brian Mast introduced federal legislation to rename Palm Beach International Airport as Donald J. Trump International Airport, with the identifier DJT. The move follows similar efforts at the state level in Florida. The bill aims to update federal agencies and coordinate with aviation organizations for the name and code change, recognizing Trump's connection to Palm Beach County and his national legacy. Concerns around trademark issues have been addressed, and the bill awaits consideration in the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Read more »
LIV Golf sued by vodka distillery for trademark infringementA Long Island-based distillery sued LIV Golf in federal court on Monday, alleging the golf league's use of 'LIV' branding for alcoholic beverages and apparel infringes on its registered trademark.
Read more »
LIV Golf sued by Long Island distillery over alleged trademark infringementA Long Island distillery is taking Saudi-backed LIV Golf to court.
Read more »
Who is allowed to say ‘March Madness'? NCAA accuses DraftKings of trademark infringementThe NCAA is seeking an emergency temporary restraining order to stop DraftKings from using registered trademarks associated with the tournaments.
Read more »