-
Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN
Duke forward Cooper Flagg – ESPN’s most promising player in the 2025 NBA Draft – has signed a major footwear endorsement deal with New Balance.
Flagg joins a New Balance brand with close ties to his home state, including a manufacturing factory in Skowhegan, Maine, 25 miles from his parents’ home in Newport.
“The connection to New Balance as a family-owned company and a company with roots in Maine means a lot to me,” Flagg told ESPN. “It really makes this different and special. My mom always went to the tent sale to buy school supplies when we were kids. It really aligns the brand with my roots. It’s a perfect fit.”
Flagg, 17, was accepted into college a year early and is considered a highly anticipated NBA prospect. At 6-foot-1, Flagg is a remarkable two-way player with explosive athleticism, all-around ability and a propensity to play with heightened intensity. He was the only college player and teenager invited to the U.S. team’s pre-Olympic training camp in Las Vegas and made a strong impression as part of the select team that faced the gold medal-winning U.S. team.
Changes to the name, image and likeness rules in recent years have made these types of endorsement deals more common for elite talent like Flagg. New Balance has a history of working with top talent from all sports, including Coco Gauff, Tyrese Maxey and Quincy Wilson.
“I remember dreaming about these things as a little boy,” Flagg told ESPN. “It’s an incredible opportunity and I’m really blessed and grateful to have been put in this position.”
Flagg was the Gatorade National Player of the Year at Montverde Academy in Florida, averaging 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 3.7 steals and 3.7 blocks per game in his final season.
