The trial over NBA 2K’s LeBron James tattoos could set huge precedent

The battle over LeBron James’ tattoos has been ongoing since 2017 — and longer with other tattoo artists

Photo: Tyler Kaufman/Getty ImagesNicole Carpenter is a senior reporter specializing in investigative features about labor issues in the game industry, as well as the business and culture of games.

Take-Two Interactive Software is in an Ohio court this week to fight a lawsuit over the use of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James’ tattoos in its games. Tattoo artist Jimmy Hayden first sued Take-Two in 2017 over the use of several tattoos he made for James that were reproduced in NBA 2K games from 2016 to 2020.

Hayden was originally suing over six tattoos he created for James, but U.S. District Judge Christopher Boyko ruled against the artist in early 2024, saying Hayden could only sue over two of those six tattoos: a tattoo of stars, and another of James’ mother’s name, Gloria.

The jury trial began Monday with opening arguments, where Hayden’s attorney Todd Tucker said Take-Two “painstakingly copied” Hayden’s work for the game, according to local news outlet Cleveland.com. Alongside opening arguments, jurors watched clips of NBA 2K games featuring James. James will not appear in court, but Take-Two’s lawyers will play his recorded deposition for the jury. Take-Two has also called game designer and Play Anything author Ian Bogost as a witness, according to court documents.

Image: 2K Games/Take-Two Interactive Software

Tucker told jurors that Hayden has been compensated for the use of his tattoos — even on James — by other companies, like Warner Bros. with Space Jam 2. He got $1,500 for that use, Tucker said.

For Take-Two, attorney Dale Cendali said that Hayden got paid only after filing the lawsuit, and that James’ tattoos are a very small part of NBA 2K. Cendali said James licensed his own likeness to Take-Two through the NBA Players Association — a ruling in Hayden’s favor would mean James would have to ask Hayden permission to license his very own being, as reported by Cleveland.com.

“Take-Two didn’t need permission because Mr. James already gave Take-Two permission,” Cendali said. “That’s exactly what this case is about. The whole point is Mr. James’ ability to license his likeness. This case affects Mr. James much more than Take-Two.”

The issue at stake is whether a tattoo artist can copyright art they’ve given an “implied license” — i.e., putting something permanently on someone’s body. Sure, a sketch or design may be able to be copyrighted, but once it’s on another person, whose is it? For Hayden’s side, it’s a trademark issue, but Take-Two says a win in Hayden’s favor makes this a serious issue of ownership of licensing one’s likeness. It’s an issue that video game companies and tattoo artists have been litigating for years — and there’s still no real legal consensus.

This isn’t the first time a video game company has been sued over an athlete’s tattoos — not even the first time for Take-Two. A company called Solid Oak Sketches sued Take-Two in 2016 over James’ tattoos, as well as tattoos on Kobe Bryant, DeAndre Jordan, Eric Bledsoe, and Kenyon Martin. Solid Oak Sketches said it had licensing agreements for the tattoos. Take-Two won that lawsuit in 2020 after a judge declared the tattoos fair use. On the flip side, Take-Two lost a lawsuit in 2022 filed by tattoo artist Catherine Alexander, who inked five tattoos on WWE wrestler Randy Orton. She filed in 2018 after those designs showed up on Orton in WWE 2K games and ultimately received $3,750 in damages — not a huge win, but up from the $450 she said WWE originally (and unsuccessfully) offered her for licensing.

Hayden, the tattoo artist in court currently with Take-Two, has another lawsuit ongoing with Take-Two over the use of tattoos on James, Danny Green, and Tristan Thompson in NBA 2K21; that lawsuit is on hold until a decision is made in the ongoing court battle.

In 2012, a tattoo artist sued Electronic Arts over a tattoo on NFL running back Ricky Williams’ arms after they were reproduced in NFL Street. In 2013, another tattoo artist sued THQ over UFC Undisputed 3, in which a tattoo from artist Christopher Escobedo’s work appears on fighter Carlos Condit. Both lawsuits were dismissed, and Condit’s tattoos were removed from the UFC game.

THEY’RE the young adrenaline junkies set to take over the world of Formula One – if they can hold their nerve.

After impressing on his debut in Saudi Arabia, where he filled in for teammate Carlos Sainz while he underwent surgery for appendicitis, Ferrari rookie Oliver Bearman is now tipped to receive a first-team call-up for rival Haas, where he’s also a reserve driver.

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Oliver Bearman is considered one of the ‘hottest’ young stars in F1Credit: Getty

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He placed seventh during his first F1 race, while filling in for Carlos SainzCredit: Getty
The F2 driver from Chelmsford beat seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton to finish seventh in Jeddah, and has now been tipped as one of the sport’s hottest young drivers.

Oliver, who is dating glamorous TiKTok star Estelle Ogilvy, is reportedly already a millionaire at the age of 18, and can look forward to lapping up the spoils enjoyed by F1 stars if he makes the grid.

But while his career appears to have gone from zero to 100mph in no time, it follows years of hard graft and sacrifice as a reserve driver.

Contrary to what you might expect, the life of F2 stars is far from the glitz and glamour of a Formula 1 driver, says The Sun’s F1 correspondent Ben Hunt.

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“What they do a lot of the time is the work that the F1 drivers don’t want to do,” he explains.

“Where the F1 drivers will go home to Monaco after a race, the reserve driver will go to the factory and in the simulator and try to ascertain what went right and wrong to make changes and progress.

“It’s a thankless task doing all the preparation and making the car better.

“You’re not driving, so it can be dispiriting. You’re not getting the chance to show what you can do.

Credits: IMAGO / NurPhoto

Alex Albon has been dating Lily Muni He for a while now. Lily often visits the paddock on race weekends to support her boyfriend. The same trend may carry on at the Chinese GP this weekend, as Albon and Lily are in China. The Thai driver is currently visiting his girlfriend’s hometown in Chengdu.

According to a Reddit post, Albon posted a picture on Instagram stories that shows a lane of Chengdu, Sichuan, where Lily hails from. Even Lily has posted a series of stories on her Instagram, showing some moments of their visit to Chengdu.

The Reddit post claims that the 28-year-old driver wanted to visit Lily’s hometown to probably meet her parents and see where she hails from. The duo have been dating since 2019, so it comes as no surprise that Albon was keen on making such a visit.

The couple loves to spend time with each other whenever they can spare time from their respective sporting activities. While Albon is an F1 driver, Lily Muni He is a professional golfer and plays on the LPGA Tour.

Due to his girlfriend being a golfer, even Albon has developed a great interest in golfing. He often plays and trains with her to hone his golfing skills.

Lily Muni He doesn’t miss out on cheering and supporting Alex Albon

Lily Muni He was also present at the Japanese GP to support Alex Albon. While the race unfolded and concluded rather quickly for the Thai driver, Lily would hope his fortunes turn around in her home country, China.

Alongside accompanying Albon during race weekends, Lily also takes part in some fun questionnaires and interviews with him. The 28-year-old jokingly dissed her support for him in one such interview. It was back in 2022 when Lily revealed that she roots for whichever team is losing.

While this is a classic sign of liking an underdog story, Albon gave an excellent response. He said, “That’s why she chose me!”

Although Albon is one of the most sought-after drivers because of his exceptional performances, he is currently driving for Williams, which continues to be a midfield team. Therefore, Albon has not managed to taste any sort of meaningful success in a while now despite no fault of his own.

LEWIS HAMILTON admits he is struggling to wring the most out of his Mercedes and claims he has been upstaged by his teammate George Russell.

Hamilton, 39, has decided to quit Mercedes at the end of this season to join Ferrari in a bid to help him win an eighth world championship.

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Lewis Hamilton admitted he is struggling with his Mercedes carCredit: Getty

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Hamilton claims he is being upstaged by Mercedes team-mate George RussellCredit: Getty
The British legend is without a win since the 2021 Saudi Arabian GP and could only qualify in 11th for the Australian GP while Russell was quick enough for seventh.

It is the third race in a row where Russell has been the fastest of the two teammates and Hamilton said: “I don’t know if I’m dealing with it that great. I mean, [I am] less consistent than George.

“George is doing a better job with our car, three qualifyings in a row that he’s out-qualified me. He just seems to get on a lot better than I do.

“I’m just trying to keep my head above water and just continue to realise how it could be way worse.

The pair left Arrowhead Stadium together after Kansas City’s win on Sunday

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are getting close again!

The Grammy winner and NFL star held hands as they left Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City on Sunday following the Chiefs’ 31-17 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.

Swift, 33, and Kelce, 34, matched in red, with the pop star showing her team spirit in a vintage 1990 USA Kansas City Chiefs sweatshirt from Ellie Mae Vintage, while the Chiefs tight end wore a red check flannel shirt and beige pants by ICECREAM.

The “Cruel Summer” singer completed her game day look with a navy pleated miniskirt, a pair of Reformation platform loafers and her signature red lipstick. She was also spotted wearing a gold friendship bracelet with Kelce’s number 87 on her wrist while watching the game from the Mahomes’ suite alongside Brittany Mahomes, the wife of Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and their 11-month-old son Patrick “Bronze” Lavon Mahomes III.

The couple also share 2-year-old daughter Sterling Skye.

Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift hold hands in Kansas City on Oct. 22, 2023.

 

Taylor Swift Spotted at Kansas City Chiefs Pregame Party Ahead of Travis Kelce’s Game

In a video posted by the NFL, the new pals could be seen chatting, laughing and dancing as they supported the Chiefs during the fourth game Swift has attended amid her romance with Kelce.

The Chiefs have won all four of the other games, the first being when the Chiefs defeated the Chicago Bears on Sept. 24. Following the game, Swift left Arrowhead Stadium with Kelce in his convertible.

Taylor Swift and Brittany Mahomes with daughter Sterling in Kansas City on Oct. 22, 2023.

 

Taylor Swift and Brittany Mahomes Debut Their Own Special Handshake at Chiefs Game

Sunday’s PDA is the latest time Swift and Kelce have been photographed hand in hand.

Earlier this month, they both made surprise cameos on SNL and were spotted holding hands while out at dinner before the show and at the after-party at Catch Steak in New York City.

A source told PEOPLE of the duo’s attendance at the post-show bash, “Taylor and Travis were there all night and they were so smiley, they were so happy.” The insider added that the couple were also super affectionate throughout the evening and kept exchanging kisses.

The following night, Swift and Kelce also stepped out holding hands after having dinner at the Waverly Inn restaurant in the Big Apple.

Credits: IMAGO / Motorsport Images

Aston Martin’s parent company has made a $25 million investment in its F1 operation, which also solidifies its commitment to the sport till 2030. SoyMotor reports that Aston Martin Lagonda is keen to see results from the Silverstone-based team and this investment is a result of efforts from Lawrence Stroll. The Canadian business magnate has been the driving force for Aston Martin F1, with his multi-million dollar investment and infrastructure initiatives.

About the $25 million stake purchase, Stroll seems to be quite happy on seeing the active commitment from the parent brand. At an Aston Martin strategy event, he commented, “Formula 1 has helped us transform the nature of the business and given us performance and credibility credentials by putting it in our road cars”.

Stroll summarized how the Formula 1 project has drawn a lot of eyeballs to the British car brand. On top of it, it has also helped Aston get a younger target audience. Naturally, with F1 getting popular among the younger generation, Stroll and Co. want to maximize the visibility of their brand in the circus. Although, they know winning races and the championship is the best way to achieve that.

Stroll invested heavily in the Aston Martin project, wanting to make it a successful, winning outfit in F1. He initiated plans for upgrading the team’s Silverstone campus and invested about $250 million for a state-of-the-art factory and wind tunnel.

Since then, there has been more influx of investment in the Silverstone team. Arctos Partners, a famous sports investment group bought some stake in the team at a $1.2 billion valuation. Now, this latest investment by Aston Martin Lagonda will further dilute Stroll’s ownership stake. However, the financial health of Aston’s F1 operation gets a further boost.

This is the second piece of good news within a week for Aston Martin. Last week, Fernando Alonso also renewed his contract with Aston Martin beyond 2024.

Fernando Alonso’s extension strengthens the bright future prospect for Aston Martin

Fernando Alonso was at an uncertain juncture regarding his F1 future. There were thoughts of retirement and considering moving away from Aston Martin, a team that got him back on the podium consistently in 2023. Thankfully for Aston, Alonso decided to stick with them for at least a couple more seasons.

The Spaniard has signed a multi-year contract extension with Aston Martin. This means that he shall be staying with the team until at least the end of 2026. Alonso’s new deal could be similar to his current one [a 2+1 year deal with an option to extend for 2027].

Regardless, this is a big boost for the Silverstone outfit, as they need the two-time champion’s experience and skill. The 42-year-old is still going strong and covets to fight for race wins as soon as possible. So, how can Aston Martin keep this side of the bargain after this new deal with Alonso?

The 2026 regulations could be the perfect chance for the formerly Racing Point outfit to take a big step forward. With Honda coming in as their power unit supplier, Aston have a chance to become the next force in F1. Honda’s engine has been the fastest and a huge factor behind Red Bull’s ongoing success.

Therefore, if Aston Martin can cohesively make their aero concepts work with Honda’s power, 2026 could turn the tide in their favor. That will certainly be a big payoff for all the investment and faith by Stroll, Alonso, and its parent company.

Taylor and Travis are introducing their families to each other!

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are taking the next step in their romance! ET has learned that the couple’s parents — Donna and Ed Kelce, and Andrea and Scott Swift — are expected to meet for the first time on Monday as the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs face off for Monday Night Football.

This game is being touted as a “family reunion” as Travis plays for the Chiefs, and his brother, Jason Kelce, plays for the Eagles. It’s also a big game for the Swifts, as Scott is a lifelong Eagles fan, whose allegiances may be swaying in the wake of Taylor’s relationship with Travis, a Chiefs tight end.

The Kelce brothers discussed as much on the latest episode of their New Heights podcast, after Scott was spotted wearing a Chiefs lanyard while hanging out with Travis at Taylor’s Argentina concert.

“Got him over to the good side, baby,” Travis teased. “Just one by one, getting all the good ones to come on over.”

“What are we doing, Scott?” Jason retorted. “You’re gonna let this man’s devilish good looks and relationship with your daughter sway you from a lifetime of fandom, Scott? Ridiculous.”

Travis further explained, “I might have persuaded him at dinner the night before. When I met him.”

Rick Diamond/ACMA2013/Getty Images for ACM

On the Kelce side, Donna, who previously sat with Taylor at Travis’ games, hasn’t been shy about showing her appreciation for the singer, even going to see Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour in a movie theater.

“I did see it, and I did like it. It was awesome,” Donna told People, further praising Taylor as “extremely, extremely talented.”

Randy Shropshire/Getty Images for Netflix

Ed is also a fan of Taylor, previously telling ET, “She’s very down to earth, very genuine. She doesn’t put on airs or anything like that… The ‘girl next door’ is an overused term, but she really is.”

Christian Horner has backed Ferrari to be Red Bull’s closest challengers at the Chinese Grand Prix this weekend, shunning Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes in the process.

Team principal Horner has been the major story of the F1 season after he was the subject of an internal investigation in February after accusations – which he denies – of ‘coercive behaviour’ towards a female colleague were made against him, before he was cleared.

This hasn’t impacted Red Bull’s progress on the track though, with the team – who have won the previous two constructors’ championships – dominating the early stages of the campaign.

 

Max Verstappen is chasing a fourth consecutive world championship and the Dutchman looks on course for that after winning three out of the opening four races in 2024, with team-mate Sergio Perez finishing second on those occasions.

Verstappen’s progress was only halted by an early retirement in Australia, where Ferrari pairing Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc came first and second respectively.  In fact, Sainz is the only driver other than Verstappen to win a race across the past 22.

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Christian Horner has backed Ferrari to be Red Bull’s closest challengers at the Chinese GP

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Horner snubbed Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes, who are enduring a difficult campaign so far

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Verstappen has won three out of four races as he chases a fourth successive world title

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And Horner, speaking ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix, felt the Italian team are Red Bull’s biggest rivals going forwards.

‘Yeah, I think that Ferrari definitely at that circuit [Melbourne] were competitive, and we saw on Friday that their race pace was competitive,’ Horner told The Mirror.

‘And we expect them to probably be our closest competitor there [in China].

‘It’s a good circuit. The first corner goes on forever, and with the high-speed corners onto the back street as well, it’s always been very punishing on the front left tyre.

‘It’s got a sprint race as well, first sprint race of the year – so that’s another challenge. (There are) a lot of points available, so it’ll be interesting to see how that goes.’

Horner’s snub of Hamilton and Mercedes comes at a time when they are enduring a dismal campaign with the Brit ninth in the championship.

Neither the seven-time world champion nor team-mate George Russell have secured a podium finish this season, and Hamilton now hasn’t won a race since December 2021.

Hamilton has finished 7th, 7th, DNF and 9th this year and heads to China hoping for a drastic improvement in his fortunes after bemoaning his team in Japan.

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Horner felt Ferrari pair Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz were Red Bull’s closest challengers

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Horner is hoping to guide his team to a third successive constructors’ championship title

‘There were two really terrible [sets of] hard tyres to run through,’ Hamilton said after coming ninth in Suzuka.

‘It was a real challenge today. I think I picked up a bit of damage at the beginning when Charles (Leclerc) came around the outside.

‘I had huge understeer for the first stint and couldn’t turn the car. The hard tyre was pretty bad and the medium was much better.

‘In hindsight, we should have kept two medium tyres, but in general the car was pretty bad today.’

MAX VERSTAPPEN is closing in on a deal to join Mercedes, according to one former Formula One icon.

Verstappen, 26, has been linked with an exit from Red Bull amid the controversy surrounding team principal Christian Horner.

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Johnny Herbert has revealed Max Verstappen is close to agreeing a deal with MercedesCredit: Getty

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Verstappen (left) has been linked with an exit from Red Bull following the sexting controversy surrounding Christian Horner (right)Credit: EPA
British racing legend Johnny Herbert, 59, has revealed he has heard that a deal for the three-time world champion to switch teams is “close”, but thinks Red Bull should do what they can to prevent it.

Rumours around a potential exit for Verstappen come amid the storm engulfing Red Bull Racing in the wake of allegations of controlling behaviour made by a female staffer against Horner.

And Herbert has made it clear he thinks the storm itself is bad for the sport of F1 while discussing Verstappen’s future.

He told The Sun: “It’s not a good thing for F1 with the whole thing going on and the belated heat on it.”

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The three-time Grand Prix winner who raced in F1 between 1989 and 2000, argued: “It doesn’t help the situation for Red Bull who have the best driver in the world at the present time.

“And they’re very close to pushing [Max Verstappen] out of the team, I’ve heard they are getting quite close with the deal with Mercedes.”

Herbert suggested that Red Bull would be “stupid” to let the best driver in F1 leave their team as a result of the fallout.

Speaking to us via sports betting website Betideas.com, he said: “It seems like a stupid thing to do, their biggest asset is not the Christian Horner show.”

Credits: IMAGO / Marco Canoniero

The 2026 engine-specific regulations reset is right on the horizon but Red Bull tech genius, Adrian Newey is far from impressed. Having won 25 world championships during his illustrious career in F1, Newey has studied the initial layout of the upcoming rule set and is concerned with the direction it will take the sport in. He has even gone as far as deeming it a marketing ploy.

According to GPBlog, the 65-year-old said, “I guess it is what their marketing people said that we should be doing and I understand that: it’s potentially interesting because F1 can be a fast-track developer of technology.”

Newey’s biggest concern with the new power units is the proposed 50-50 distribution between the Internal Combustion Engine and the hybrid system in terms of power output. The Briton believes this would lead to absurd solutions such as running higher revs during tight corners to be able to harvest the battery pack.

Another point of consideration for Newey is how the latest regulations take the ball away from him. The Briton is one of the masters of race-car aerodynamics. However, with the 2026 regulations focused more on the engine than the chassis, this puts him in a tricky corner. There are chances that his designs would be limited by what the PU demands, in terms of design compatibility.

Even Max Verstappen has previously critiqued the general philosophy of the new regulations. Meanwhile, his team boss Christian Horner has called for the FIA to have a second look into them. Despite the concerns within the Red Bull camp, and Newey’s general apprehensions, he is still one of the most sought-after guys in the paddock.

Is Adrian Newey looking for a new challenge in 2026?

Many consider Newey the greatest F1 designer of all time. His work with the Bulls on the current ground-effect cars has only solidified his legacy in the sport. The RB19 (their 2023 challenger) became statistically the greatest F1 car ever. Naturally, with championships for teams such as Williams and McLaren on his CV too, Newey is on every team’s radar.

As things stand, Newey is a Red Bull man, through and through. His departure wouldn’t also make much sense given how deeply he is invested in the Austrian brand’s hypercar project – the RB17. Hence, it would take a surprising turn of events to lure the 65-year-old away from Milton Keynes.

That, in its entirety, isn’t impossible, though. Reports have been linking the 25-time champion to the likes of Ferrari. With Lewis Hamilton joining the Scuderia in 2025, many believe that Newey may have some interest in making a move to Maranello. Such a move could see him form an iconic partnership with the #44 driver, as he always wanted to do, and end Ferrari’s title drought too.

What makes things even more interesting is the reported distress within the Red Bull camp due to the Christian Horner saga. It may have tipped the scales in Ferrari’s favor, who are also willing to shell out millions, as per reports, to secure a deal with Newey.

Post Edited By:Aishwary Gaonkar

Adrian Newey
Red Bull

About the author

Anirban Aly Mandal

Anirban Aly Mandal is an F1 writer at The SportsRush, with over 1000 articles under his belt, Anirban’s love for F1 started when he discovered a copy of F1 2014 on his computer. With over half a decade’s worth of time spent religiously following the sport, he’s dived deep into the world of motorsports. However, Anirban’s expertise goes beyond just writing – he has also written several academic papers focused on the domain of motorsports and the law. His passion for the sport is so immense that he aspires to work as a legal advisor in the most prestigious racing series in the world someday. When it comes to Formula 1, Anirban finds great pleasure in re-watching classic races and idolizes the likes of Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, and Sebastian Vettel. His top picks include Brazil ’91, Silverstone ’92, and Germany ’19. Outside of the sport, Anirban is an avid sim racer, often found racing on titles like Assetto Corsa, F1 22, and Automobilista. Apart from his interests in gaming, Anirban has a keen interest in philosophy, literature and music.

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