Rising star, Duke freshman Cooper Flagg inks deal with Gatorade - ESPN

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 add Gatorade sponsorship to his list of accomplishments as the 6-foot-9 phenom became the first men's college basketball player to sign with the brand, the company announced on Tuesday.

Flagg said he's been committed to keeping his circle tight as the buzz — and opportunities — around him continues to grow.

«It just comes down to trying to just stay grounded and kind of stay where my feet are and focus on the present and where I am,» Flagg told ESPN in a conversation 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 just trying to stay present and really just focus on the moment.»

With Gatorade, he'll join Paige Bueckers and JuJu Watkins as the other college basketball stars attached to the brand.

Flagg's popularity grew over the summer after he had an impressive performance in a scrimmage against the men's national team before the Paris Olympics. That performance prompted LeBron James to tell Esquire that the five-star prospect will be one of the next faces of the NBA once he arrives. That experience with the national team, Flagg said, helped him glean wisdom from some of the best players in the world.

«I would say some of the biggest advice was just to stay humble and keep working,» Flagg said. «It really is just about staying grounded and not getting too ahead of yourself.»

He said he also cherishes his relationship with James.

«It was nothing really specific that [James] said, [but] obviously someone of that