George Gervin has a message for Caleb Williams: there's already an Iceman, and it isn't him. The Hall of Famer made his position clear to the Chicago Sun-Times after Williams moved to trademark the "Iceman" nickname.
A label Gervin has carried since 1973, when teammate Roland "Fatty" Taylor handed it to him during his ABA debut with the Virginia Squires. "We've already got one 'Iceman,'" Gervin said, though he was generous enough to praise Williams' development, calling his upside "great."
The San Antonio Spurs jumped in too, posting a photo of Gervin on an ice throne on X with a simple reminder.
"There's only one Iceman 🥶."
Williams picked up the nickname during the 2025-26 NFL season after delivering a string of late-game comebacks for the Chicago Bears. His cold-themed shoulder shrug became his signature celebration as he led the team to the NFC Divisional round.
He filed trademark applications for both the name and a related logo featuring a silhouette of a fourth-down pass to Rome Odunze.
That move triggered a response from Gervin's camp. The NBA legend subsequently filed his own applications for "Iceman" and "Iceman 44," covering apparel and entertainment services including trading cards.
Kim Klement-Imagn Images
Gervin had been using the nickname commercially since 1979 but never formally registered it through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, operating under the belief that it was already protected.
The resume Gervin is defending the name with is hard to argue against. Nine NBA All-Star selections, five All-NBA First Team honors, four scoring titles between 1977 and 1982, and spots on both the NBA's 50th and 75th anniversary teams. The Spurs retired his No. 44 in 1987. He finished his career with 26,595 points, 47th all-time across the ABA and NBA combined.
Williams has not publicly addressed the dispute. But with trademark filings now sitting on both sides, this one is heading somewhere beyond social media posts and newspaper quotes.
