Street basketball legend Joe "The Destroyer" Hammond has filed a $5 million lawsuit against Nike and Footlocker for putting his name on t-shirt without asking his permission. Hammond — who never played pro-ball but earned his reputation at Rucker Park on 155th Street in the 1970s — claims the sneaker maker "put a shirt of mine in Foot Locker with no contract." Adding insult to injury, they didn't even spell his name right.
According to the Post, the suit is over a t-shirt printed with a picture a "dilapidated basketball hoop" and the words: "Joe The Destroyer Hammon." Hammond has gone down in basketball lore for on-court performances that wowed NBA stars like Julius Erving and Wilt Chamberlain, as well as reports that he once turned down a contract to play for the Los Angeles Lakers because he was making more money selling drugs. His basketball career came to an end when he served a 12-year prison sentence on drug charges.
