Story by
119-Year-Old Sneaker Brand's Genius Move to Lock in Cooper Flagg Revealed
- Story by
- 119-Year-Old Sneaker Brand's Genius Move to Lock in Cooper Flagg Revealed
119-Year-Old Sneaker Brand's Genius Move to Lock in Cooper Flagg Revealed originally appeared on Athlon Sports .
The talking heads around basketball have been raving about Duke's Cooper Flagg for the past few years.
Advertisement
The projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft has been viewed as a potential superstar dating back to his time at prep school powerhouse Montverde Academy, which saw him headline a roster with five of the top-30 players in the country.
He mesmerized at Duke in his lone season, winning ACC Player of the Year, Naismith Men's Player of the Year and reportedly bringing in $28 million .
As Flagg embarks on his NBA journey, he already has a couple of major questions answered that not every prospect does.
Advertisement
Although the selection has yet to happen, the Dallas Mavericks hold the No. 1 pick and are widely expected to draft Flagg so he knows where he's going. The Maine native also won't have to deal with the hassle of inking a shoe deal like some other players, as he was announced as a New Balance ambassador in August.
While New Balance has some big names like Kawhi Leonard, Jamal Murray and Tyrese Maxey, it isn't necessarily the powerhouse of brands around the NBA. However, as revealed in an interview with Forbes, when they pitched Flagg, Naveen Lokesh expressed how New Balance took a different approach than the other sneaker giants.
"So when it came time to pitch Flagg, at a Calabasas hotel with other sneaker brands waiting outside, New Balance led with a personal touch, unveiling a tribute video shot at the Skowhegan factory that "let the associates that have been working in Maine for 20 years speak for us," Lokesh said .
Advertisement
Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg is a New Balance ambassador.Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
To most, a random factory in Maine may not mean much, but for Flagg it was nostalgic. He grew up in Newport, Maine, 25 miles away from the factory. As confirmed by Forbes, Flagg shopped at that very factory every year with his mother.
Once Flagg suits up in the NBA, it'll really be the first time he consistently dons New Balance shoes, as due to Duke's Nike deal, he was forced to wear Nikes in college.
That being said, it likely won't take too long for him to have his own shoe that hoopers across the world will wear.
Advertisement
Flagg's NBA dreams will come true Wednesday night at 8:00 p.m. ET at the Barclays Center in New York, with the draft airing on ESPN.
Related: Duke's Cooper Flagg Gets Big Surprise Before NBA Draft
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 24, 2025, where it first appeared.
