Duke freshman Cooper Flagg signs shoe endorsement deal with New Balance
Duke freshman Cooper Flagg has signed a “significant” shoe endorsement deal with New Balance, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Flagg was the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2024 recruiting cycle, according to On3’s Industry Rankings.
Moreover, he is projected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft by numerous outlets. Flagg’s decision to sign with New Balance may have had to do with a loyalty to his home state of Maine. New Balance has a massive manufacturing plant only 25 miles away from Flagg’s childhood home.
Flagg’s deal with New Balance isn’t the first time he’s made headlines this summer. In June, Flagg earned a spot on the USA Select Team, which practiced against Team USA ahead of the Paris Olympics.
Flagg turned heads at the practices, competing against the best players in the world and finding success. USA Select Team and Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley raved about Flagg’s talents after only coaching him for a short time.
“I hadn’t been around him, so just meeting him and talking to him the first day in practice the other day, you can just see the quiet confidence that he carries with himself,” Mosley said. “His ability to know what he’s capable of doing, but also the humility of knowing, ‘OK, I’m still trying to figure some of these things out at this level,’ but he’s not afraid of it. And that’s what, that’s one thing you can tell right away.
“[He has a] high basketball IQ, tough, willing to learn,” Mosley continued. “He gets to the spots that he needs to for a shot a lot, able to get to the rim, great touch on his shot… I mean, he can play. There’s no in-between. There’s me saying, in many different forms, he can just flat-out play.”
Mosley isn’t the only who’s excited to see what lies ahead for Cooper Flagg. This summer, Duke head coach Jon Scheyer bragged on his incoming freshman’s style of play.
“Cooper has been a joy to watch him play in high school, because no matter when I’ve seen him,” Scheyer said. “If it’s Sunday morning at 8:00 a.m. after playing a few days, whether it’s watching him play on ESPN, in the national championship game this year — he always plays this same way.
“He always competes [with] 100% effort and I think that’s a separator. Obviously, you look at his athleticism, talent, size, and skill is off the charts. But to me, it’s how he competes. And who he is as a teammate.”