There is a high talent on the court, so there is a great opportunity.
Before taking part in the official regular season official match, Flag had already captured a series of landmark endorsement deals, leading to one of the league’s largest portfolio of brand partners.
“It’s cool,” he said modestly. “I learned a lot and I was educated on it earlier than before throughout the process.”
When Cooper was in Montverde, Florida had not allowed amateur players to sign zero deals, which Kelly now calls “a blessing in disguise.”
“All of these guys have to go on basketball and worry about basketball,” she said. “That’s what we want.”
However, once he committed to Duke and signed with Austin Brown, co-director of CAA Sports, the offer of recognition is never ending. While fanatics, Gatorade and AT&T partners will all come together eventually, the biggest brand decision to resolve is the sneaker agreement.
Even though Cooper wore Nike throughout high school, the family had a unique connection to New Balance, and the privately owned company conquered the Northeast. New Balance is known for its “Made in America” and factory network throughout the region, and owns a manufacturing facility in Skowhegan, just 25 minutes’ drive from Newport. Kelly often takes boys to annual tent sales, buying shoes for them during the new school year.
Flagg played for hours from New Balance’s Boston headquarters, with company president Chris Davis and basketball sports marketing director Naveen Lokesh, remembering he had made him radar early on. As they followed his progress at Monteverde, SLAM’s No. 247 issue soon landed on Davis’s table in the fall of 2023, announcing Cooper’s commitment to Duke and articulating the timeline he’s earned on the team.
Davis walked past the office and threw the problem on Lokesh’s desk, proclaiming: “Cooper must be a new balancer.”
“The cover story of the Grand Slam is a validation of everything we have been thinking, learning and conceiving,” Davis said now. “Sometimes, everything you think is going to achieve is in front of you. It’s the cherry at the top, the ultimate validator.”
“Even if they’re a big company, the new balance feels like a family, not a huge corporate machine,” Kelly said. “They’re family owned and accessible. As long as he needs anything, he can reach out. It has a very tight feeling.”
Of course, Chris Davis remembers exactly where he is when he gets the official update. It was June 24 at Fenway Park, where the Red Sox paired with the Blue Jays, Davis sat in the suite with Boston Execs. He noticed his phone began to flicker.
“If you don’t have someone’s phone number, you know what it says…? It says maybe: Cooper Flag.'” Davis said
He picked it up.
“He’s a very polite kid,” Davis thought at the moment. “He called and told me he was going to a different brand.”
“Hey, Mr. Davis…”
“Just call me Chris. Mr. Davis is my father.”
Cooper did this, letting him know that he wanted to join New Balance.
Davis reported: “I got off the phone and felt chill.”
Flag knew it was the biggest brand decision of his young career. “It’s a process — a long process,” Cooper said. “Meet with different brands and see their vision for me and my brand. New England brands are definitely a big part of that, and the vision and culture they have.”
Even in Duke, he plays a touted top basketball player lineup in the brand’s national campaign. New Balance announced June 25 as Flag Day, launching a capsule collection of “Made in the United States” clothing to celebrate the draft. Cooper is expected to start his rookie season on the Hesi Low model, and finally the PE version is expected to be released, even one day, even one day, even his own iconic sneakers.
“It really requires a unique individual and unique personality to work with the challenger brand,” Davis added. “Especially for the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft, and one of the most touted prospects in recent history. To go with an industry incumbent, you have to have a fearless independent mindset.”
As he and New Balance will build his marketing plan and vision for the future, Flag believes his story can be relevant and impactful to anyone.
“I think I represent my own way on the court,” he said. “As long as I keep playing hard, I always have to win first, and the team is to send a good message to a lot of people first.”
