For decades, sneaker companies have used their sponsorship of college athletics to create a pipeline to get young athletes into their gear, hoping to carry on that partnership once they are at the professional level. However, with college athletes now able to sign endorsement deals, there are avenues for a player to sign with a different brand if they want.
On Monday, we saw that happen with the biggest name in men’s college basketball this season, as incoming Duke freshman Cooper Flagg (the expected No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft) was announced as the new face of New Balance’s basketball division (video here). It’s a huge get for New Balance, as the brand has put together an impressive lineup in their return to the hoops space in recent years, headlined by Kawhi Leonard, Tyrese Maxey, and Jamal Murray, but Flagg gives them a potential young superstar to build their brand around.
As Flagg explained to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, signing with New Balance was a nod to his Maine roots.
“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 still expected to wear Nike on the court at Duke (although, it is possible some player will challenge that rule at some point in the not too distant future), but off the court he will rock New Balance and then move to wearing their basketball line once he’s in the league in 2025.