Sneaker News Cooper Flagg, the consensus number one overall selection in the 2025 NBA Draft, has just signed with New Balance.
““I grew up wearing New Balance, and I appreciate their authentic connection to my community. The focus and growth of the brand in basketball and our shared values and history drew me in.” says Flagg.
Cooper is originally from Newport, Maine, which is just 25 miles from the brand’s Skowhegan manufacturing facility. He recalls his mom taking his family to the annual New Balance factory tent sale to buy shoes and backpacks for the school year.
As part of the official announcement, New Balance and Cooper created a special visual that reflects his work ethic and hometown roots; it features the Duke Blue Devils star reading the morning paper with a front page headline that reads “Cooper Flagg, The Intelligent Choice – Signs With New Balance.”
Cooper will be part of the brand’s basketball-focused and broader marketing campaigns moving forward. Although the official announcement did not make mention, it is very possible that Flagg will have his own signature shoe in the future.
Earlier this year, it was apparent that Jordan Brand was making a push for the young star; when he was officially announced as the Gatorade Player Of The Year, he was photographed with plenty of Jordan footwear, and photographed alongside Jordan athlete (and fellow Duke Blue Devil) Paolo Banchero.
