On Monday, New Balance signed Duke basketball star Cooper Flagg, adding another player to its basketball family comprising the Los Angeles Clippers' Kawhi Leonard and the Denver Nuggets' Jamal Murray. Moreover, Flagg's decision also earned the praises of tennis star Coco Gauff, also the defending US Open champion.

The media caught up to the World No. 2 after her dominant straight-sets victory over France's Varvara Gracheva in the first round.

“That's really cool. I know New Balance is trying to get more into basketball. That's really exciting to have another person part of the family, and excited to see him do great things. Hopefully I get to meet him,” she said, as reported by Adam Zagoria for NJ Advance Media.

Meet the Duke basketball star

McDonald's All American East forward Cooper Flagg speaks during a press conference at JW Marriott Houston by The Galleria.
Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

Besides Gauff, more NBA players like the Washington Wizards' Kyle Kuzma reacted to Flagg's brand choice, which broke the trend of Nike signing basketball's next biggest stars. Outside of Flagg, Nike has already signed deals with generational prospect and San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama. The Atlanta Hawks' top pick, Zaccharie Risacher, also wore Nikes despite not having a deal with the brand.

The six-foot-nine Duke basketball star and projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft joins Tyrese Maxey, Zach LaVine, Darius Garland, and Dejounte Murray. Likewise, New Balance has a presence in the WNBA, with Los Angeles Sparks rookie Cameron Brink.

Moreover, the former high school standout has had strong ties with the brand, too, which he shared in a press release upon his signing.

“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.”

Additionally, the 17-year-old prospect trained with the Team USA select squad before they set out on their Paris Olympics journey, which ended in a gold medal. Playing against pros might have sharpened Cooper Flagg's abilities and pushed him along the path of stardom, which New Balance capitalized on.

Coco Gauff and the US Open

Meanwhile, the 20-year-old Coco Gauff is the highest-paid tennis player in the world, worth $27.1 million. Despite Gauff's stunning Olympics loss, she looks to bounce back and defend her US Open crown. After her victory over Gracheva on Monday, Gauff welcomed the pressure of facing tougher and tougher challengers on her title defense. Next, she will face Germany's Tatjana Maria in the second round.