What sneakers was he wearing while playing for Duke?
Same at Duke. So what would have been different at UConn?
Fair enough.
Why go to Duke then? K's gone. UConn is coming off back to back titles. The kid went to Duke because that's where the sneaker money wanted him to go. At least that's my theory.
I knew Duke was a Nike school also so I figured they must have the same rules as UConn. So I searched for what sneakers Flagg wore at Duke and that was the first thing that came up.
I don't think this matters as much as people think. New Balance is playing the long game and Flagg is one of its top assets. It'd much rather he sign with the biggest brand in the sport - even if it's a Nike school - and reap the windfall of the extra exposure than a lower profile program that's linked to New Balance.
Yes, of course. He was well known long before college, he's a handsome kid, and so these are real NIL deals.
BC just became the first D1 New Balance school
TikTok girls love New Balance casual "lifestyle" sneakers. Adidas Sambas are back in style too.
But did he know that? He was a 17-year-old kid from rural Maine being courted by some of the wealthiest companies in the world. He was always going to do what they "advised" him to do - it's not an accident that he ended up with the biggest brand in the men's game despite having no real ties there just like it's not an accident that Paige ended up with the biggest brand on the women's side.
Yes, he knew that. Those brands contacted him in HS. He was a really big deal. He had over 800k Instagram followers. He has, I think, as high a grade as anybody has had in a generation, even out of HS.
He knew he was a great prospect, obviously. But it's human nature to want to minimize risk when you're sitting on a winning lottery ticket. He could have gotten hurt. He could have struggled, even if only a little bit, with the adjustment to college ball.
With Cooper, it's Occam's Razor. No school was going to materially impact his NIL or draft position. He grew up a Duke fan, that's where he always wanted to go. UConn, maybe helped by Clingan's mom playing with Cooper's mom, plus being back to back champions, was enough for him to even consider a school other than Duke. He didn't even visit Kansas remember. In the end, he went where he always wanted to go, but it wasn't about money.
That's funny because my wife just bought a pair of Sambas recently and I asked her if she was going to be playing indoor soccer. Good to know she's up on the current fashion trends. Better she buy those than another Louis Vuitton bag she doesn't need!
I have no problem whatsoever with "real" NIL like what Flagg got. If a national brand, or even a local brand, wants to pay a college athlete for advertising rights that they expect to make money on, more power to everyone. My problem is with the collectives, and boosters and donors pooling money to pay kids. That to me is what is crazy. Not New Balance actually trying to make money off of the young man's reputation.
You think a wife looking at two items is an "either/or?" That's so cute.
Won’t be allowed in the future if this new revenue sharing model goes through.
Kid has been a Duke fan his whole life, his family is Duke fans, everyone said he was going to Duke since he was in like 8th or 9th grade.
