Overview
- Underdog created and promoted a limited‑run board game called Unethical Hooper that spoofed an Operation‑style toy and used a depiction of Shai Gilgeous‑Alexander.
- Promotional posts and videos, including content featuring Dillon Brooks, spread quickly on social media and boosted awareness of the product.
- Eric Fishman of ArentFox Schiff, representing Gilgeous‑Alexander, sent a formal cease‑and‑desist demanding Underdog permanently stop using his NIL across websites, apps, social channels, ads, affiliate placements, and physical goods.
- The letter rests on athlete publicity rights that generally require consent for commercial use of a player’s name or likeness and notes that selling the game increases legal exposure for Underdog.
- The dispute could lead Underdog to pull the product or face further legal steps and highlights broader risks for companies that monetize parodies of active players without their permission.