Duke University freshman forward Cooper Flagg, projected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft, has signed a deal with New Balance, the apparel company announced Monday.
The deal, first reported by ESPN , would make Flagg one of New Balance’s signature athletes and could include a signature shoe. Flagg joins Kawhi Leonard, Jamal Murray and WNBA rookie Cameron Brink as one of the top names in New Balance basketball.
“I grew up wearing New Balance and appreciate their authentic connection to my community. I was drawn to the brand’s focus and evolution on basketball and our shared values and history,” Flagg said in a statement said. “It was clear from day one that this was going to be a family-like partnership. I’m excited to join the family and help them grow the category with young athletes.
Cooper Flagg, “Choose Wisely.” pic.twitter.com/JvvvMM9lfm
— New Balance (@newbalance) August 26, 2024
For Flagg, choosing New Balance was not only a professional decision, but also a personal one: The reigning Gatorade National Player of the Year and five-star recruit made the decision just a stone’s throw from New Balance’s manufacturing facility in Skowhegan, Maine. grew up 25 miles away.
Before every new school year, Flagg’s mother, Kelly, takes him and his twin brother, Ace, to the factory’s annual tent sale, where they buy a new pair of sneakers and backpacks. To promote Monday’s announcement, the company even filmed promotional content with Flagg in his hometown of Newport, Maine.
“Cooper is a great addition to our basketball lineup and we are excited to welcome him to the New Balance family,” Naveen Lokesh, New Balance’s director of basketball sports marketing, said in a statement. “He is a force to be reckoned with on the court and we look forward to building on our relationship as he continues to develop and supporting him in all his endeavors.”
Prior to last season, UConn women’s star Paige Bueckers signed a NIL contract with Nike, becoming the first college athlete to have her own signature shoe deal. Flagg is now ranked second despite not playing a minute for the Blue Devils.
While some college athletes have partnered with apparel companies during the NIL era — Adidas, for example, signed 15 college women in conjunction with Title IX’s 50th anniversary in the summer of 2022 — this kind of program is specifically geared toward rising to the top of the sport. Still relatively rare.
Flagg fits that mold, even though he’s not in college yet. Despite not being reclassified until 2024, the 6-foot-9 forward remains No. 1 in the class and is expected to lead Duke in Jon Scheyer’s third season as head coach University. Duke University ranks sixth CompetitorPreseason top 25 rankings.
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(Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
