Cooper Flagg Explains Why He Signed With New Balance

In a somewhat surprising move, Duke forward Cooper Flagg recently signed an endorsement deal with New Balance. Flagg was expected to sign with Nike and he revealed his reasons behind opting for New Balance to ESPN.

"The connection with New Balance as a family company and a company with Maine roots means a lot to me," Flagg told ESPN . "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."

"As a younger kid, I can think back to dreaming about things like this," Flagg said. "It's an incredible opportunity, and I'm really blessed and grateful to be put in this position."

New Balance has a manufacturing factory in Skowhegan, Maine, which is just about 25 miles away from Newport, where Flagg hails from. The family went to the annual tent sales at the factory when he was younger and that connection seems to have played a big role in his decision. New Balance also put out a terrific advertisement on his signing.

There are a couple of reasons why, despite those ties, this was still a very surprising move. First of all, Flagg played for years on Nike’s EYBL circuit and wore their shoes as well. Secondly, the 17-year-old is at Duke now, a Nike school. Those factors made it seem like a foregone conclusion that he would sign with the brand, but he didn't.

Despite Flagg signing with New Balance, he will actually still be wearing Nike gear when representing Duke. The Blue Devils and the brand have been partners since 1992 and have a contract that runs through 2027. So, while Flagg can be in New Balance adverts, he won't wear their shoes on the court until he leaves Duke for the NBA.

Flagg is expected to enter the league in 2025 and at this point, looks set to be the first pick of the draft. The 6'9" forward impressed one and all during his senior 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.

Flagg's efforts led to him being named Gatorade National Player of the Year, Mr. Basketball USA, and the Naismith Prep Player of the Year. He unsurprisingly generated a lot of interest from the top colleges in the U.S. and ultimately chose to go to Duke.

Interestingly, Flagg will be making his competitive debut for the Blue Devils against Maine on Nov. 4. I'm sure he will put on a show.

Kevin Durant Was Highly Impressed By Cooper Flagg During Team USA Scrimmages

Flagg's exploits on the court led to him getting an invite to be part of the Select Team for Team USA's training camp before the 2024 Paris Olympics. The teenager accepted it and made quite a positive impression on the big stars with his play in the scrimmages. Kevin Durant even raved about Flagg, praising him for his maturity.

"I wish I had gone up against him at practice. But watching him from the sideline, he looked like a hell of a player. He’s somebody that’s only going to get better with more experience. He’s 17 years old coming in here playing like he’s a vet almost. No emotion, he's going out there and doing his job. That's a good sign..”

You'd think that a teenager who has never even played a game in college would be a little fazed when going up against some of the best players in the NBA, but Flagg wasn't. That certainly is a good sign for the future and I can't wait to see what he does when he gets to the league next year as he is expected to.

Related: Several NBA Scouts Compare Cooper Flagg To Andrei Kirilenko

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