Duke freshman forward Cooper Flagg, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, has signed a deal with New Balance, the apparel company announced Monday.
The deal — which was first reported by ESPN — will make Flagg one of New Balance’s signature athletes, likely including a signature shoe. Flagg joins Kawhi Leonard, Jamal Murray and WNBA rookie Cameron Brink as one of New Balance’s basketball headliners.
“I grew up with New Balance and value their authentic connection to my community. I was drawn to the brand’s focus and growth in basketball and our shared values and history,” Flagg said in a statement. “From day one, it was clear that this would be a family-like partnership. I’m so excited to join this family and help them grow the category with young athletes.”
Cooper Flagg, The Intelligent Choice. photo.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 current Gatorade National Player of the Year and five-star player grew up just 25 miles from New Balance’s manufacturing facility in Skowhegan, Maine.
Before each new school year, Flagg’s mother, Kelly, would take him and his twin brother, Ace, to the factory’s annual tent sale, where they’d pick up a new pair of sneakers and a backpack. To promote Monday’s announcement, the company even shot promotional content featuring Flagg in his hometown of Newport, Maine.
“Cooper brings so much to our basketball roster and we are thrilled to welcome him to the New Balance family,” said Naveen Lokesh, head of basketball sports marketing for New Balance, in a statement. “He is a force to be reckoned with on the court and we look forward to building our relationship as he grows the game and supporting him in all endeavors.”
Before last season, Connecticut women’s star Paige Bueckers became the first college athlete to get her own signature shoe deal after signing a NIL contract with Nike. Now Flagg is the second, despite having yet to play a single minute for the Blue Devils.
While some college athletes have partnered with apparel companies in the NIL era (Adidas, for example, signed 15 female students in the summer of 2022, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Title IX), it’s still a relative rarity for the top rising sports stars.
Flagg fits that bill, even though he has yet to attend college. Despite reclassifying through 2024, the 6-foot-9 forward retained the No. 1 recruiting ranking in the class and is expected to lead Duke in Jon Scheyer’s third season as head coach. Duke is No. 6 in The Athleticspreseason top 25 rankings.
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(Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
