Though he hasn’t played a single minute of college basketball yet, Cooper Flagg, Duke Blue Devils freshman and the projected top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, is already racking up endorsements.
On Monday, ESPN reported that Flagg agreed on an endorsement deal with shoe giant New Balance.
“The connection with New Balance as a family company and a company with Maine roots means a lot to me. That makes this really different and special. My mom used to go to the tent sale for back-to-school shopping there when we were kids. That really aligns the brand with my roots. It’s a perfect fit,” Flagg told ESPN.
As he noted, both New Balance and Flagg hail from Maine, with the shoe company’s manufacturing plant 25 miles from Flagg’s childhood home.
New Balance continues to try to make an impact in the shoe game with younger athletes, signing tennis star Coco Gauff and Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey in recent years along with Flagg.
“As a younger kid, I can think back to dreaming about things like this. It’s an incredible opportunity, and I’m really blessed and grateful to be put in this position,” Flagg said to ESPN.
The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the ESPN article referred to it as “significant.”
Flagg makes his collegiate debut on November 4 when Duke hosts the Maine Black Bears.
[ESPN]
