Duke University rookie forward Cooper Flagg, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, has signed a contract with New Balance, the apparel company announced Monday.
The deal, first reported by ESPN, makes Flagg one of New Balance's signature athletes and likely a signature shoe. Flagg joins Kawhi Leonard, Jamal Murray and WNBA rookie Cameron Brink as one of the company's leading basketball stars.
“I grew up wearing New Balance and am grateful that they have a true 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 this would be a partnership that felt like a family, and I'm incredibly excited to be part of this family and help grow the category with young athletes.”
Cooper Flagg, “A Wise Choice” pic.twitter.com/JvvvMM9lfm
— New Balance (@newbalance) August 26, 2024
For Flagg, choosing New Balance was not just a professional decision, but also a personal one: The Gatorade National Player of the Year and five-star recruit grew up just 25 miles from the New Balance manufacturing facility in Skowhegan, Maine.
Before the start of each school year, Flagg's mother, Kelly, takes him and his twin brother, Ace, to the factory's annual tent sale to buy them new sneakers and backpacks. To promote Monday's announcement, they even filmed promotional content in Flagg's hometown of Newport, Maine.
“Cooper brings great contributions to our basketball team and we are thrilled to welcome him to the New Balance family,” Naveen Lokesh, head of basketball sports marketing at New Balance, said in a statement. “He's a force to be reckoned with on the court and we look forward to building our relationship and supporting him in all his endeavors as he grows his basketball game.”
Before last season, Connecticut women's star Paige Bueckers signed a non-negotiable contract with Nike, becoming the first college athlete to exclusively sell the team's signature shoes, and Flagg is now the second player to do so despite never playing a minute for the Blue Devils.
The NIL era has seen some college athletes partner with apparel companies — Adidas, for example, signed 15 college women for the summer of 2022 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Title IX — but the deals are still relatively rare for the biggest stars in sports.
Flagg fits that mold, even though he has yet to play in college. Despite reclassifying until 2024, the 6-foot-9 forward maintains the No. 1 recruiting ranking in his class and is expected to lead Duke in coach John Scheyer's third season, where he is No. 6 in The Athletic's preseason Top 25 rankings.
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(Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
