So many times in modern sports, superstars of other eras get tossed aside as players and fans age.

Colston Loveland stood in front of a group of sportswriters in Chicago last year after being drafted, and more or less said LeBron James was basketball’s king and not MJ. Somehow everyone kept from laughing too loud at the press conference.

That’s what happens when a young kid doesn’t know better. MJ is the King, LeBron the king.

This isn’t to say it never happens that someone new comes along. Tiger Woods came along and could have been better than Jack, but wasn’t, largely through his own fault. Tom Brady came along and was even greater than Joe Montana at winning titles.

Skip trying to say that Caleb Williams gave himself the Iceman nickname and that it didn’t happen naturally.

Do a little research first. His teammates brought it on. It’s all on film. https://t.co/1Fl1q5LTz6 pic.twitter.com/6cGA7sWsO8

— Brendan Sugrue (@BrendanSugrue) March 27, 2026

But 6-for-6 in the finals and being more clutch than anyone ever says enough about all of that. Fortunately, Loveland has been much better a tight end than a judge of basketball talent.

Now, there is this dispute about George Gervin and Caleb Williams over the Iceman nickname.

As someone older, who remembers the ABA Virginia Squires, ABA/NBA San Antonio Spurs and then the Bulls team Gervin played on for one year, the first thought when Williams was referred to as the Iceman was that Gervin was the Iceman.

On Monday, Caleb Williams filed new trademark applications to protect:

1. His nickname “ICEMAN.”

2. The silhouette of his iconic throw in the Green Bay playoff game.

The applications claim that Caleb has an “intent” to sell products using the trademarks soon.#ChicagoBears pic.twitter.com/vYOj6iDk99

— Josh Gerben (@JoshGerben) March 19, 2026

Then again, there have been lots of “Icemen.”  

The UFC’s Chuck Liddell had that nickname.  In fiction, the Iceman was a character known as “Hickey” in Eugene O’Neill’s play “The Iceman Cometh.”

Ain’t nobody buying George Iceman Gervin merch or using his likeness in 2026. Cut it out

— Iceberg Slime 🥶 (@ForeverFlyMike) March 27, 2026Bobby Drake of X-Men was Iceman, and that name is a trademark like  Marvel’s other characters. Iceman in Top Gun was Val Kilmer’s character of Tom Kazansky. There is a movie “Iceman” starring Timothy Hutton about reviving a 40,000-year-old Neanderthal from the ice.

Timothy Hutton and Lindsay Crouse in Iceman (1984) pic.twitter.com/DbC7PB7IvE

— Frame Found (@framefound) March 1, 2023In the really cold world known as reality, Richard Kuklinski was a contract killer with ties to organized crime and is known as the Iceman.

But no one, to me, was Iceman more than Gervin. Maybe it’s just what happens when you’re older. You stick up for the old guys.

Caleb Williams is the Iceman. It’s his nickname. It arose naturally, his teammates call him the Iceman, he even has the Iceman celebration. George Gervin hasn’t played in the NBA in 40 years and that’s not even the same sport. He is irrelevant for anyone under 60. Give it up dude

— Jeremy (@JeromeyR0me) March 27, 2026This is not the same thing

However, in this case, something entirely different is at issue beyond a nickname.

This is a trademark/copyright debate for the Iceman between Williams and Gervon. Williams actually filed for it AND THEN Gervin did several days later.

NBA Hall of Famer George Gervin is attempting to stop Bears QB Caleb Williams from trademarking “Iceman”, per @jjones9

“I’ve got nothing but respect for [Williams]. He’s already proved greatness and his potential upside is great. Like an ‘Iceman.’ But that name is taken….All… pic.twitter.com/ghXcE6LZaL

— Bearsszn (@bearszn) March 26, 2026

Sorry, you snooze, you lose. Use it or lose it, or something like that.

Anyone can have a nickname. This isn’t about the nickname. You can call anyone anything you want. I was born in a town where it seemed everyone was given a nickname, and there were all sorts. Some guy was even nicknamed Poopy. I can’t imagine why, nor do I want to know why, but I doubt anyone was trying to get a trademark for that.

If something means enough to you that you decided to trademark it, but someone else suddenly decides to do it after you, and they had the chance to do it for four decades without doing it, I would seriously doubt the law will come down on the side of the person who was slow to the draw.

The ICEMAN Caleb Williams is COMING pic.twitter.com/qVspEkhHpE

— Swift Sports Network (@SwiftyNetwork) January 18, 2026

If it was so important to Gervin, he should have done something about it before Williams scooped it up.  It’s not like he had insufficient time.

The courts will decide this, unless Gervin and Williams decide between themselves. And, apparently attorneys for Gervin say there was some sort of misunderstanding in the past that prevented him from having rights to this.

Wink, wink. That’s rather convenient.

Caleb Williams has the best nickname in the NFL pic.twitter.com/ihGirpJaNB

— Bears Fan TV (@BearsFanTV) March 23, 2026

We’ll see what the final verdict is, and those familiar with the process say it could take 18 months or more before all of it gets decided.

Based on the fact there are numerous Icemen and that Caleb Williams filed for this when Gervin didn’t, law trumps age. 

This QB Caleb Williams segment from @NFLGameDay this morning is COLD. 🥶

Iceman is Chicago’s Franchise QB. 🐻⬇️

🎥: @yugebearsfan pic.twitter.com/HXtVJAIMG5

— Bearsszn (@bearszn) December 28, 2025

Gervin may forever be known to us old people as the Iceman informally, but Williams is now, too, because it’s just a nickname. And it seems only logical the courts will make this nickname a more formal title for the guy who filed first.

All hail the Iceman, No. 18.

Caleb Williams: Iceman here to stay!

We have to tell the truth, so lets keep it 💯

Black people as a whole have to do a better job of becoming knowledgeable of business.

Just because you have a gift and you are a good person, it doesn’t mean that you are entitled to… pic.twitter.com/5erQHj7nh1

— White Cunningham (@LostHebrew_Dre) March 27, 2026Bears Would Need to Determine How Much Grooming Center Prospect RequiresNow Bears Must Also Fight Bernie Sanders in Bid to Build StadiumNFL Insider Details Drastic Shift at Need Position for BearsRyan Poles Hit on Bargain in Bears Free Agency and It’s Winning Over Critic

X: BearsOnSI