Duke's Cooper Flagg signs New Balance shoe endorsement deal

Duke forward Cooper Flagg -- the No. 1 prospect in ESPN's 2025 NBA draft class -- has signed a significant shoe endorsement deal with New Balance.

Flagg joins a New Balance brand tied closely to his home state, including a Skowhegan, Maine, manufacturing factory that is 25 miles from his childhood home in Newport.

"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, 17, reclassified to enter college a year early and looms as an immensely anticipated NBA prospect. At 6-foot-9, Flagg is a remarkable two-way player with explosive athleticism, all-around skills and a propensity to play at an elevated rate of intensity. He was the lone college player and teenager invited to Team USA's pre-Olympic training camp in Las Vegas and made a strong impression as part of the select team scrimmaging against the United States' gold-medal-winning roster.

The changes in name, image and likeness rules in recent years make these kind of endorsement deals more common for elite prospects like Flagg. New Balance's history with top young prospects across sports includes Coco Gauff, Tyrese Maxey and Quincy Wilson.

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

Flagg was the Gatorade National Player of the Year at Montverde Academy in Florida with a senior season that included 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 3.7 steals and 3.7 blocks per game.