Caleb Williams Rips Skip Bayless For Saying He's Trying to Steal George Gervin's 'Iceman' Nickname

As Caleb Williams attempts to trademark his teammate-given nickname of "Iceman", the Chicago Bears quarterback took exception to comments by Skip Bayless.

After Bayless posted on X that Williams was "trying to steal" the moniker associated with Basketball Hall of Famer George Gervin, Williams reposted the comment with a response of his own:

Bears player assigned Williams the "Iceman" moniker during his breakout 2025 season for his steely calm demeanor in clutch and late-game situations. His camp decided to run with it by recently applying for a trademark on the name for various merchandising purposes.

The trademark application covers a logo that is a silhouette of Williams' leaping fourth-down throw against the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs that kept a drive alive in their 31-27 comeback win.

Even though Gervin was bestowed the "Iceman" nickname in 1973 and it has stuck with him long after his basketball career ended, he did not have a trademark on it and is attempting to block Williams from getting it.

Speaking to ESPN's Courtney Cronin and Michael Rothstein, Gervin said he was "caught off guard" by Williams' attempt to trademark the name.

"I've been the Iceman for 40-something years," Gervin said. "I never thought anybody would try to trademark it. He kind of knocked me out the box."

Gervin has since filed an application to trademark both "Iceman" and "Iceman 44" after Williams' applications were filed. He played 14 seasons between the ABA and NBA from 1972 to '86, made 12 All-Star teams and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1996.

Williams' point to Bayless about how he's not stealing the moniker seems to be correct since Gervin doesn't appear to have it trademarked, at least based on how this situation has played out.

We will find out how this resolves itself if an administrative trademark judge gets brought in to resolve the dispute between Williams and Gervin.