Duke freshman star Flagg inks Gatorade offer

• Myron Medcalf, ESPN

  • Staff WriterOct 29, 2024, 01:41 PM ET Close Covers college basketball
  • Signed up with ESPN.com in 2011
  • Graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato

Cooper Flagg is accustomed to the national spotlight at this point.The 17-year-old is Duke’s next college basketball star and the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft by ESPN. Now, he can include Gatorade sponsorship to his list of achievements as the 6-foot-9 phenom ended up being the first males’s college basketball player to sign with the brand name, the business announced on Tuesday. Cooper Flagg, Duke’s next star and projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft, has actually signed with Gatorade, becoming the first guys’s basketball player to sign with the brand. Lance King/Getty Images Flagg stated he’s been devoted to keeping his circle tight as the buzz– and chances– around him continues to grow.”It simply boils down to attempting to just stay grounded and kind of stay where my feet are and concentrate on today and where I am, “Flagg informed ESPN in a discussion about his Gatorade sponsorship and his first season as a college basketball star.”Whether that’s focusing on a day we have practice, class … Whatever I’m doing, I’m simply trying to stay present and truly just focus on the minute.”With Gatorade, he’ll join Paige Bueckers and JuJu Watkins as the other college

basketball stars connected to the brand.Flagg’s appeal grew over the summertime after he had an impressive performance in a scrimmage against the guys’s nationwide team before the Paris Olympics. That performance triggered LeBron James to inform Esquire that the first-class possibility will be among the next faces of the NBA once he gets here. That experience with the nationwide group, Flagg said, helped him obtain wisdom from some of the best players worldwide.”I would state some of the most significant guidance was just to remain modest and keep working, “Flagg said.” It actually is just about staying grounded and not getting too ahead of yourself.”He said he likewise cherishes his relationship with James. “It was absolutely nothing actually specific that [James] said, [however] clearly somebody of that success and everything that

he’s done in his career, it’s cool simply to speak with him.”Flagg is a rare professional athlete. He has the size of a power forward but he plays like an explosive guard, slashing to the rim and scoring throughout the court. He is among the most flexible freshman college basketball players given that Zion Williamson.Flagg stated he doesn’t have one player at the next level whom he attempts to emulate, however previous Duke star Jayson Tatum has made an impact on his game. “There is no one particular that I have actually primarily concentrated on modeling my game after,” he said. “However I would state [Tatum] would be a good example of [somebody] I have actually enjoyed him a lot

. Not necessarily as a design, modeling my game, but just having enjoyed him a lot, there are absolutely things that I can pick up on and take from his game.”Flagg said he’s still stunned by a few of the distinctions and chances he’s gotten. He stated he would not have believed someone if they would have told him that he would one day turn into one of the most extremely touted players in the game, with a Gatorade sponsorship, when he was a kid in Maine.”I indicate, I most likely would’ve told you that you were lying, “he stated. “I think for sure, growing up, that’s something that I had to deal with. A great deal of it was individuals informing me like, I was just gon na be a kid from Maine. I would just play basketball in Maine. So, I think, going through that, I most likely would’ve just thought you were lying, but I constantly kind of had my own self-esteem at the same time.”He stated he’s delighted about the upcoming season, which will include a variety of nationally telecasted displays consisting of Duke’s match against Kentucky in the Champions Classic and a meeting with No. 1 Kansas in Las Vegas throughout Thanksgiving week.He stated his household, friends and teammates have all assisted him deal with whatever that has come his method so far.”I think my moms and dads for sure played a big role because,”he stated.”My teammates, certainly being around them every single day, they certainly have actually assisted me remain focused. And then my pals. I have [childhood] pals that I talk to nearly every day. They assist simply keep me grounded, keep me in the moment. “