Caleb Williams says he didn't know George Gervin was the "Iceman"
Williams recently explained the reason for seeking trademark protection of the name.
Who is the real Iceman? Of all the unlikely storylines of the 2026 offseason to date, the trademark fight between Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and NBA legend George Gervin over the trademark rights to the name has become one of the most surprising. Speaking recently with Ben Horney of Front Office Sports , Williams addressed the controversy sparked by his effort to squat on the legal rights to the nickname.
Did Caleb Williams know George Gervin was the original Iceman? "I didn't know," Williams said. "My dad probably knows his nickname was that.
. . .
It's not between me and George or anything like that. It's more or less people making clothing or people making things like that, and I can't control what people are making of me, or anything like that, and putting the name on it. And so it's just to control that aspect of it.