There’s no doubt that Cooper Flagg is the most anticipated prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft. The newly minted Duke Blue Devils guard impressed basketball fans after showing off against a star-studded Team USA during scrimmages, and the incoming freshman already has enough hype going about him to make fans of certain teams begging to tank for him.
The Team USA scrimmages may have blown the hype train out of proportion, but brands are already starting to take notice of the Montverde Academy alumwear brand. He recently signed a lucrative NIL deal with New Balance that instantly makes him one of the star athletes in their roster of sponsored basketball players.
Some may wonder why such a highly touted prospect chose such a brand to be his footwear of choice. It would make sense for some to think that money played a huge role in his decision.
However, fans would be shocked to know that one surprisingly wholesome reason factored into his decision-making process.
Cooper Flagg chose New Balance as his footwear due to proximity and childhood fondness
Sportico’s Jason Clinksales covered Flagg’s decision to sign with New Balance. He reported that his partnership with the popular footwear brand was an easy choice to make:
Flagg grew up 25 miles away from the company’s Skowhegan, Maine, manufacturing factory, giving the signing a boyhood connection. “I grew up wearing New Balance, and I appreciate their authentic connection to my community,” Flagg said in a press release. “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.”
With such a personal connection with the brand, it made sense that other brands had no shot at bagging him.
Duke Blue Devils fans are excited to see Cooper Flagg play
Duke Blue Devils fans who watched Flagg play against Team USA are right to feel excited about their incoming freshman. His high school stats also display why he’s such a coup for Jon Scheyer.
He finished his high-school career with an impressive stat line of 16.1 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 3.9 APG, and 2.7 BPG. While Flagg still has some development to take on while staying in Durham, his foundation is promising enough to expect a good NBA career out of him.
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