Earlier this week on August 26, New Balance proudly announced the latest acquisition in their talented pool of signature athletes, as Gatorade National Player of the Year and Naismith Player of the Year, Cooper Flagg, was welcomed to the brand. Marked as the consensus top prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft class, Flagg's commanding presence on the court and strong admiration for the brand position him as a model representative of the New Balance brand and their blossoming basketball sub-division.
Naveen Lokesh, Head of Basketball Sports Marketing at New Balance, discussed the brand's signing of Flagg in an official press release, stating:
"Cooper adds so much to our basketball roster, and we’re thrilled to welcome him to the New Balance family... He is a force to be reckoned with on the court, and we look forward to building our relationship as he grows the game and supporting him in all his endeavors."Naveen Lokesh
A native of Newport, Maine, Flagg spent his childhood just 25 miles away from the New Balance manufacturing facility in Skowhegan. During his youth, his mother would take him and his siblings to the yearly New Balance tent sale in Skowhegan, where they would purchase a single pair of shoes and a backpack to last through the school year.
Speaking about the importance of signing with New Balance in relation to his family, community, and passion for the brand, Flagg stated the following in the press release referenced above:
"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. From day one, it was clear that this would be a family-like partnership. I’m so excited to join this family and help them grow the category with young athletes."Team New Balance athlete Cooper Flagg
Flagg will be prominently involved in New Balance's basketball marketing initiatives, while also partnering with the brand on lifestyle extensions and community outreach efforts. His focus will be on programs dedicated to supporting and empowering young athletes who aspire to reach the same like-minded goals.
Bob Lynch, Founder and CEO of SponsorUnited, the premier global intelligence platform for sports and entertainment, shared his insights on the historic partnership between Cooper Flagg and New Balance, stating:
"New Balance’s signing of Cooper Flagg represents a new kind of endorsement—one that reflects a generational shift in values among Gen Z and Gen Alpha, moving away from typical deals towards authentic storytelling and meaningful alignment. New Balance is embracing a counterculture ethos that resonates with a growing segment of consumers disillusioned by hype-driven, mass-market culture. This trend is evident across the sports apparel and footwear industry, where we’ve seen 56% more brands enter into sports marketing partnerships in the past three years, driven by niche, value-driven alignments, creating a newly competitive landscape for historically dominant big brands."Bob Lynch