Cooper Flagg, a freshman set to play for Duke, has secured a multi-year shoe deal with New Balance, despite not yet stepping on the court for the Blue Devils.
Flagg, projected as the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, will benefit from a deal that includes one NIL year while he is in college and multiple seasons’ compensation once he begins his NBA career, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Boardroom.
Flagg, who hails from Newport, Maine, and moved to Montverde, Florida, to attend Montverde Academy, has a personal connection with New Balance, which has a manufacturing plant in Skowhegan, Maine, 25 miles from his childhood home.
Cooper Flagg, The Intelligent Choice. pic.twitter.com/JvvvMM9lfm
— New Balance (@newbalance) August 26, 2024
“I grew up wearing New Balance, and I appreciate their authentic connection to my community,” Flagg said in a statement. “The focus and growth of the brand in basketball and our shared values and history drew me in.”
Flagg, 17, noted to Wojnarowski that his mother used to shop at New Balance tent sales for back-to-school supplies, establishing a long-standing relationship with the brand.
With New Balance, Flagg joins a group of basketball athletes including Kawhi Leonard, Tyrese Maxey, Jamal Murray, and Cameron Brink. The brand also sponsors tennis player Coco Gauff and track and field athlete Quincy Wilson.
As a senior at Montverde Academy, Flagg, standing 6 feet 9 inches, averaged 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 3.7 steals, and 3.7 blocks per game, leading his team to a perfect 34–0 record and a national title. He received accolades such as Gatorade National Player of the Year, Mr. Basketball USA, and Naismith Prep Player of the Year.
Suns’ Kevin Durant on Duke’s Cooper Flagg at USA Basketball camp: “He looks like a hell of a player. … He’s 17 years old coming in here playing like a vet almost. No emotion. Just going out there and doing his job. That’s a good sign.” pic.twitter.com/IupKki3c8T
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) July 9, 2024
Flagg reclassified from the 2025 class to 2024 before his senior year, making him eligible for the 2025 NBA Draft upon turning 18. He committed to Duke last October after also receiving strong recruitment interest from UConn, Kansas, and Kentucky.
During Team USA’s pre-Olympic training camp in Las Vegas, Flagg stood out as the only college player and teenager invited to join the Select Team, heightening expectations for his upcoming freshman season at Duke and his future in the NBA.
