San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama speaks to reporters last summer. Credit: Meradith Garcia

San Antonio Spur Victor Wembanyama has sued an Austin man, accusing him of using the basketball star’s likeness without approval on T-shirts, coffee mugs and other items.

The suit, filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Austin, alleges James T. Glodich used the 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year’s name, image and likeness without permission.

Glodich was unavailable for immediate comment Wednesday afternoon on the legal action.

Wembanyama, who’s set to take home $12.7 million this season, demands in his suit that Glodich hold any profits from the merchandise in trust. The 7-foot-3 French phenom also argued in the petition that he’s entitled to triple damages and attorneys fees.

The issues between Wembanyama and Glodich began last year when the Central Texas entrepreneur filed trademark patents for terms including “Wemby’s World” and “El Wemby,” according to the suit’s accusations.

In response, Wembanyama’s legal team, which includes Chicago-based intellectual property attorney Michael Geller, filed a protest letter with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the petition states. Glodich allegedly abandoned those trademark filings this year.

However, that didn’t stop Glodich from selling Wemby-themed apparel and merchandise ranging from mousepads to wrapping paper on his website, wembysworld.com, according to the suit’s claims.

Wembanyama’s legal team sent several cease and desist letters to Glodich about the website but he never responded, according to the legal filing.

None of the items alleged to have been for sale on wembysworld.com remain available at press time. Indeed, the site only shows the words “Coming soon.”

This isn’t the first time Spurs-themed merchandise has landed a marketing business in legal hot water.

Last December, 21 online vendors, including Michael Baez of Bexar County Apparel, were named as defendants in a lawsuit filed by Fred’s Fish Fry Inc. for selling Spurs-themed apparel emblazoned with the fast food joint’s iconic logo without permission.

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This article appears in Sep 25 – Oct 15, 2024.

Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...