NCAA

Why Cooper Flagg Will Wear Nike At Duke Despite New Balance Shoe Deal

Gia Nguyen Sports Editor

Published6 hours ago on October 30, 2024

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Duke freshman Cooper Flagg signed a shoe deal with New Balance in August for a “significant” sum of money, but don’t expect to catch the projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft to dawn any New Balance classics on the court any time soon.

That’s because Duke has a contract with Nike that runs through the 2027 season. Nike is the exclusive supplier of uniforms, footwear, equipment and merchandise for Duke Athletics, which means Flagg will still be rocking the ‘Swoosh’ logo at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Flagg, New Balance Partnership Could Get Interesting In The NBA

When it comes to partnerships with D1 colleges and universities, Nike, Jordan, Adidas, and Under Armor dominate the college ranks.

Nike and the Jordan brand account for nearly 60% of apparel deals in college sports and the same holds true for the NBA, where 66% of players wore Nike shoes in 2023-24.

Currently, Boston College, one of Duke’s ACC rivals, is the only Power Conference school to partner with New Balance. Ironically, New Balance is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, not far from Flagg’s hometown of Newport, Maine.

It will be interesting to see how Flagg’s current NIL deal will develop once he’s drafted into the NBA. While Flagg may have given New Balance a hometown discount, the biggest brands in the world might be fighting over his rights in the near future.

Flagg is arguably the most hyped American basketball prospect since Zion Williamson, another former Duke Blue Devil. After being drafted, Williamson signed a shoe deal with Nike worth a reported $75 million. At the time, it was the most lucrative contract since LeBron James in 2003.

The race to capitalize on a signature shoe for Flagg will only heat up during the basketball season, especially if the Duke freshman puts together a dominant campaign. Despite never playing a college basketball game, he’s already ascended to the top of the NIL leaderboard, where his value has sky-rocketed to a whopping $2.6 million, the highest mark in college basketball.

Will New Balance be able to fend off Nike, Jordan, Reebok, and other top brands in the fight for a player who could turn out to be one of the most marketable stars of their generation?

Who Are Some Notable New Balance Athletes?

When Flagg signed his NIL deal with New Balance, he joined an increasingly impressive list of basketball players on the apparel brand’s roster. In addition to former NBA Finals MVPs Kawhi Leonard and Jamal Murray, New Balance also has several other high profile players representing the brand, including up-and-coming star Tyrese Maxey and WNBA star Cameron Brink. Here is a list of notable New Balance athletes on the basketball roster: