The NBA Draft is upon us, and the star of the show is Duke phenom Cooper Flagg, who is expected to be drafted #1 overall to the Dallas Mavericks. Flagg has arrived in New York and is in the final preparations before officially becoming a pro.
As he arrived for a media session at Lotte New York Palace, he came sporting a bright orange pair of New Balance sneakers. Some fans that watched Flagg at Duke may be confused as he wore Nike during his time at Durham. But Flagg is a New Balance athlete and now he can finally wear the shoes of the company that he is signed to.
Cooper Flagg Can Finally Honor His Emotional Connection With New Balance
Cooper Flagg is an elite prospect, likely one of the most hyped players since LeBron James entered the league in 2003. It is no surprise that he was the apple of every shoe company’s eye. While at Duke, Flagg had no choice in the matter as the Blue Devils are an established Nike school, and all of their student athletes are obligated to wear Nike shoes.
Even before arriving on campus, Flagg had already signed a NIL deal with New Balance. He spurned offers from the likes of Adidas and Nike in the process, likely preferring New Balance because they have a massive manufacturing plant at Skowhegan in Maine, just 25 miles away from his childhood home.
Flagg told Forbes, he remembered shopping with his mom at the factory’s annual tent sale for backpacks, clothes and sneakers every school year. Moreover, while pitching Flagg, New Balance delivered a masterpiece. They did it with a tribute video shot at the Skowhegan factory that “let the associates that have been working in Maine for 20 years speak for us,” Naveen Lokesh, the lead of the brand’s basketball and football divisions, said.
Cooper Flagg sighting!
Here’s here at the Lotte New York Palace where he’ll meet with reporters for this afternoon’s media session. #nbadraft2025 pic.twitter.com/QtbehTXKSX
— Sam Gannon (@SamGannon87) June 24, 2025
Flagg was asked about his deferred loyalty to his preferred shoe brand, and he said, “Well, it’s obviously a tough situation. I love New Balance, but Duke is with Nike, so we have to do that for now.”. But now that he is no longer obligated to abide by the rules of Duke’s Nike agreement, Flagg is free to wear his coveted New Balances.
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Flagg joins a growing roster of NBA players representing New Balance, including Darius Garland, Tyrese Maxey, Jamal Murray, and others. The company has already built out advertising campaigns for Flagg, and he figures to be the focal point of their basketball marketing efforts for the next decade, the player that will quickly become the face of their rising brand.
For those waiting to see Flagg in New Balance shoes the wait is nearly over, and based on the shoes he carried with him, we may have gotten a preview of what his signature shoe may look like when he hits the NBA hardwood this fall.
