Giannis Antetokounmpo has the trappings that befit a basketball superstar. The ¡°Greek Freak¡± is 6-foot-11 with legs so long, as Sports Illustrated put it, he can traverse ¡°half the court with four Sasquatch steps, surveying traffic like a big rig over smart cars.¡±

When he¡¯s not playing for the Milwaukee Bucks, the five-time All-Star power forward is in another court, prodigiously enforcing his trademarks.

Antetokounmpo ¡ª who in 2020 signed a five-year, $228.2 million contract extension, the largest deal in National Basketball Association history ¡ª has gone after the sellers of unauthorized shower curtains emblazoned with his name and number ($57 apiece), a themed spice blend that adds a ¡°vibrant garlic-herb kick to any dish¡± ($9.99), and stickers bearing cartoon images of his likeness ($3.50).

In all, the 27-year-old has filed more than four dozen lawsuits over the past two years, accusing dozens of individuals and entities of violating his registered trademark for the phrase ¡°Greek Freak¡± ¡ª a nickname that both nods to his background and is easier to pronounce than his five-syllable surname.

The lawsuits highlight that trademarks ¡ª for which filings have surged ¡ª are increasingly valuable to athletes in a social media-dominated world. They no longer need to rely on endorsements from big companies or marketing firms to promote themselves and their brands. While some of the dollar amounts may seem negligible, lawyers say letting even the most benign counterfeits slide make it more difficult to take down sophisticated ¡ª and far more lucrative ¡ª trademark violators.

Josh Gerben, a Washington-based trademark lawyer who tracks filings by athletes and others, says it¡¯s a different era now because players are more involved in their own brands and products.

¡°You would get these superstars who would get these endorsement deals,¡± he said. ¡°But they wouldn¡¯t always be seeking out trademark protection because they were promoting someone else¡¯s product or endorsing someone else¡¯s product.¡±

Neither Antetokounmpo¡¯s representatives or the lawyers who¡¯ve filed suits on his behalf responded to requests for comments.

Trademark boom

Some athletes seek out trademarks to keep others from profiting off their sporting fame. Such was the the case of Hall of Fame slugger Babe Ruth, who unsuccessfully tried to register a trademark for a candy bar after the ¡°Baby Ruth¡± ¡ª the milk-chocolate, peanut and caramel nougat ¡ª became popular.

For others, such as NBA star LeBron James ¡ª who unsuccessfully tried to trademark ¡°Taco Tuesday¡± ¡ª establishing a brand could be a way to set up a revenue stream off the court.

¡°A more prominent athlete may be very interested in essentially monetizing his or her fame as part and parcel of this trademark strategy,¡± said Darren Heitner, a lawyer who...