Cooper Flagg is one of the most exciting and hyped prospects in recent memory, and now he has an endorsement deal to go with it. The Duke freshman and Maine native has signed a “significant” shoe endorsement deal with New Balance, according to a report from ESPN on Monday. New Balance’s headquarters are in Boston,...
Cooper Flagg is one of the most exciting and hyped prospects in recent memory, and now he has an endorsement deal to go with it.
The Duke freshman and Maine native has signed a “significant” shoe endorsement deal with New Balance, according to a report from ESPN on Monday. New Balance’s headquarters are in Boston, and the brand has a sizable imprint on athletics in New England. Flagg – a proud native of Newport, Maine – told ESPN that it makes this deal even more meaningful.
“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.”
Flagg is only 17 as he enters his freshman year at Duke this fall, but the recent changes to name, image and likeness deals in college have allowed amateur athletes like Flagg to profit with endorsements, Even at the high school level, NIL deals have become commonplace for elite-level prospects. Brockton’s AJ Dybantsa, the No. 1-ranked recruit in the class of 2025, signed a deal with Nike earlier this year.
“The horses have left the barn. It’s common,” BABC founder Leo Papile told the HoopWise podcast last month. “There were teams that had multiple guys that had deals. Amateurism rules have been altered so that the NCAA allows these kids to have agents.”
RELATED: Inside Cooper Flagg's experience at U.S. Olympics training camp
Flagg’s stock has only increased this summer after becoming the first teenager and college prospect in more than a decade to be invited to Team USA’s pre-Olympic training camp as a member of the select team. He produced a standout performance at the camp against the likes of LeBron James, Stephen Curry and other members of the Team USA Olympic team that went on to win the gold medal in Paris.
Flagg grew up about 25 miles away from New Balance's Skowhegan manufacturing facility, and he feels a deep connection with the brand that he will be the face of for the foreseeable future.
“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. From day one, it was clear that this would be a family-like partnership. I’m so excited to join this family and help them grow the category with young athletes.”
