Duke basketball freshman Cooper Flagg signs NIL deal with New Balance

Duke freshman Cooper Flagg, the top-ranked player in the Class of 2024, announced an NIL deal with New Balance on Monday.

[autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag], the top-ranked freshman in the country and Duke basketball’s next big star, announced an NIL deal with New Balance on Monday.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported the agreement, which Flagg said partially came about because of the company’s connection to his home state of Maine. In fact, he grew up less than 30 miles from a New Balance factory.

“My mom used to go to the tent sale for back-to-school shopping there when we were kids,” Flagg said in the ESPN story about the partnership. “That really aligns the brand with my roots. It’s a perfect fit.”

Few incoming freshmen have ever amassed a national profile like Flagg’s before playing a collegiate game. Despite reclassifying from the Class of 2025, the incoming Blue Devil still finished atop every national recruiting ranking. He led Montverde Academy to an undefeated season, taking down future teammates Darren Harris and Patrick Ngongba II at the Chipotle Nationals championship game, before stealing the show at Team USA Olympic training camp with the Select Team.

Despite sharing the court with NBA players, some scouts said he looked like the best player on the court for the Select Team, and he went viral for one stretch with back-to-back baskets.

Flagg, the most anticipated Blue Devil since [autotag]Zion Williamson[/autotag], makes his Cameron Indoor Stadium debut at the Countdown to Craziness on October 4.