Cooper Flagg shoe deal, explained: Why Duke star will wear New Balance in the NBA after Nike

Teddy Ricketson

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Cooper Flagg shoe deal, explained: Why Duke star will wear New Balance in the NBA after Nike image

Cooper Flagg was a highly touted basketball prospect from Maine. He moved down to Florida to attend Montverde Academy, which has been churning out top basketball prospects for years.

The writing was on the wall that Flagg was going to be the next great basketball star, and it resulted in his being the No. 1 recruit in the 2024 Class. He landed at Duke, went on to win the 2025 Wooden Award and is expected to be the No. 1 overall draft pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. 

Since he played for the Blue Devils, he wore Nike gear during college. When he gets to the NBA, though, Flagg will be changing companies. In particular, the top prospect will be changing which company's shoes he wears. 

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Here is why Flagg will be switching shoe companies when he gets to the NBA. 

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Cooper Flagg shoe deal, explained

Apparel companies have long made deals with schools to be their sponsors. This is a marketing strategy where fans will see the products worn by their favorite school's athletes and want to follow suit by purchasing their own. 

Duke is licensed with Nike. This meant that Flagg had to wear Nike apparel when he was playing. The problem is that the basketball superstar had signed an NIL deal with New Balance. Still, Flagg held true to Duke's partnership and wore Nike shoes when he played. When he gets to the NBA this fall, though, he will be decked out in New Balance apparel. New Balance has a giant manufacturing plant about 25 miles from Flagg's childhood home. 

Flagg was asked about the situation during the NCAA Tournament. 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." Spoken like a 10-year vet walking the line perfectly between both brands.

New Balance knew that this could happen when they signed him to his deal. In their minds, Flagg will wear Nike for one year, but then, when he gets to the NBA, it can be all New Balance, all the time. 

Notable NBA athletes signed to New Balance

Here is who Flagg will be joining in representing New Balance when he gets to the NBA. 

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Teddy Ricketson

Teddy Ricketson is a Digital Content Producer at The Sporting News. He joined the team in 2024 after spending the last three years writing for Vox Media as part of its DK Nation/Network team. Teddy does his best to support the South Carolina Gamecocks and Carolina Panthers, but tends to have more fun cheering on the Atlanta Braves. In his free time, he loves spending time with his wife, Brooke, and their two dogs, Bo and Hootie.