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Copyright Infringement Claim over Deflated Basketball Artwork
Tyrrell Winston, the American contemporary artist, has filed a lawsuit against the New Orleans Pelicans in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, accusing the NBA team of copyright infringement. The case stems from Instagram posts in 2024 that featured players posing in front of a backdrop of 25 deflated basketballs arranged in a 5×5 grid on a white wall. Winston claims the display is a direct imitation of his signature wall sculptures.
Distinctive Style and Recognition in the NBA World
Winston alleges that the Pelicans’ backdrop was a “willful” and “identical” copy of his works *Manhattanhenge* and *R.O.I.*, which were registered with the US Copyright Office on July 18, 2025. His complaint highlights existing licensing deals with Nike, adidas, Aimé Leon Dore, and other NBA teams.
His work has long intersected with the basketball world. In 2024, Winston was invited to the NBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis. He has previously collaborated with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores acquired one of his installations for his private collection.
Legal Demands and Response
Winston is seeking a jury trial and monetary damages for reputational harm and market loss, stating that the Pelicans ignored a cease-and-desist letter sent by his lawyers in October 2024.
The Pelicans are expected to file their response and move for dismissal in the coming weeks. The case is emerging as a closely watched test of artistic authorship in the context of sports marketing.
The complaint underscores that Winston’s claim is not about the physical existence of deflated basketballs, which can be found anywhere, but about their conceptual arrangement as art. This echoes earlier copyright disputes, most famously Maurizio Cattelan’s taped-banana installation Comedian, where originality lay in artistic framing rather than the object itself. Whether Winston’s case will prevail remains to be seen.
Story: Tae Art Man
