Cooper Flagg talks NIL, Funds and New Partnership

The quantity is $28 million.

Based on a report that surfaced earlier this month, that’s the sum of money that Cooper Flagg earned in NIL offers throughout his one yr at Duke. 

Quick-forward to Wednesday night time, when Flagg was chosen with the No. 1 general decide within the NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks. The 2025 Naismith Award winner, which is given to the highest participant in faculty basketball, is projected to make upwards of $62 million on his rookie deal over the subsequent 4 years. If Flagg lives as much as his billing as a generational expertise, it is doable his second contract could possibly be greater than $350 million, whereas that determine for his third contract could be north of $500 million, in accordance with projections from Spotrac.

These are staggering numbers, and it may end in Flagg changing into the primary North American athlete to earn $1 billion in on-court earnings. So, what’s Flagg’s plan to handle that kind of cash?

On Thursday afternoon, lower than 24 hours after he was chosen on the high decide within the draft, Flagg introduced a brand new partnership with Chime, kicking off a long-term collaboration rooted in monetary success. To kick off the partnership, Flagg and his mom, Kelly, will star within the newest episode of “Mama, I Made It” — an authentic YouTube collection that highlights the true tales behind success by way of the lens of the mothers who helped form it.

We caught up with Flagg forward of his announcement to debate his new partnership, in addition to his expertise as a high-profile athlete within the new-look NIL world of faculty athletics.

Inform me about your new partnership with Chime and what led to your resolution to enter this partnership?

“It is massive for me. Clearly, I have been making a living for a short time now. It began once I obtained to school and I feel the partnership simply actually is sensible. I am attempting to study cash, and Chime is a superb device that I can use to assist train me about funds.”

This partnership with debut within the “Mama I Made It” collection. After speaking with you, I do know that your mother performs an enormous function in your life. Are you able to discuss in regards to the function she has performed in your profession as a task mannequin and past that?

“My mother has been an enormous function mannequin. She was one in all my first influences of every little thing and something, particularly basketball. She performed Division I herself on the College of Maine and she or he put a ball in my arms early. 

So far as funds, as I began to get increasingly consideration, she’s been actually necessary in terms of dealing with every little thing and placing an excellent system in place. She’s been there each step of the way in which and that has helped me navigate every little thing.”

How concerned are you personally with a few of your monetary choices in terms of NIL {dollars} (and now NBA {dollars}) and the way a lot of a task do your mother, household and advisors play in that?

“I’ve a crew that helps me out with every little thing so far as funds. My mother is the principle person who all of it goes by way of. So far as myself, it is type of as much as me what I need to know and what I need to study. I’ve realized rather a lot from my mother as I’ve gone by way of this due to how necessary she’s been with dealing with every little thing and placing necessary methods in place. It has been a studying curve for each of us.”

Let’s return to the “Mama, I Made It” collection the place this partnership will debut. We talked about your mother, however what does the phrase “I Made It” imply to you?

“For me, it is about being in a spot the place I am in an excellent spot financially. I have been blessed with numerous good alternatives, but it surely’s about being ready for the second and having methods in place and being able to deal with every little thing that is being thrown my approach.”

What’s been probably the most eye-opening factor for you in terms of navigating this new-age NIL world of faculty athletics?

“The most important half is simply attempting to steadiness all of it. It could possibly demand numerous time, and you may get misplaced and centered on that. However having methods in place and a crew that’s round to assist me undergo every little thing and make every little thing simpler for me has been large and simply lets me give attention to basketball.”

One factor that actually stands out within the NIL area is what number of massive greenback numbers and arbitrary studies are thrown on the market in terms of NIL earnings. Do you take note of that stuff?

“A variety of basketball gamers and athletes take care of it … it is actually simply one thing that you need to study to take care of in your individual sure methods. For me, it is about ignoring it and probably not studying into it. I do know what the reality is and what is going on on. It is about specializing in the folks round me which might be in my circle.”

Is that one thing that you have needed to actually study and work with folks that you simply’re near? I’ve to think about that it needs to be actually difficult to disregard all of that.

“It does include challenges, and also you study over time the way you take care of it personally. I feel simply having a help system round me – folks that you simply’re actually shut with – has actually helped with blocking out all the surface stuff.”

What recommendation would you give to an incoming extremely touted freshman about navigating the NIL area?

“The most important factor is getting educated and studying about it your self so you already know what is going on on. You need to have folks round you that you simply belief and know are all about the best issues to allow them to assist lead you in the best path and make issues simpler on you. You need to have the ability to give attention to simply enjoying and be capable to do what you like to do.”

How is that this new partnership with Chime going that will help you navigate your funds?

“It should assist me study and educate me on the monetary points of every little thing. It is a actually useful gizmo. It should assist educate me and proceed to develop and study funds because it turns into increasingly necessary in my life.”

Let’s shut it out with a extremely enjoyable query. When you may decide one man within the NBA, a present participant or incoming participant, who you possibly can’t wait to go up in opposition to, who’s that participant and why?

“I might say Khaman [Maluach]. He is one in all my former teammates. I like him, and he is one in all my finest pals. That will be actually cool.”

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