Cooper Flagg has already made fans in the NBA front offices with his dazzling high school and Duke career. But it was time for the 17-year-old to make waves off the court as well. And he did exactly the same by signing a deal with New Balance, boosting his $1.4 million NIL value. The effect of this deal was far-reaching as social media is chirping about it all day. Kyle Kuzma also reacted to the development and took the opportune moment to rekindle his anti-Nike agenda.

On X, the Wizards forward didn’t mince his words and wrote, “Nike Cooked.” This was due to the fact that Flagg opted to break the so-called tradition of Duke athletes signing for Nike. It’s hard to tell if this indicates the start of a shift in the sneaker market, but if it does, Kuzma will be in for it.

This could be seen as a missed opportunity for Nike, who more often than not, sign the “Next big thing” of the game. Flagg is slated to be the first pick in the 2025 Draft with teams salivating at the prospect of signing him. This year’s first pick, Zaccharie Risacher, wore Nike shoes despite not being signed, and the brand already has Victor Wembanyama tied to a deal that will make him the face of their basketball division in coming years. Flagg broke that chain due to his family ties with NB.

Kuzma, who was once a Nike athlete, parted ways with the $260 billion brand before signing with Puma in 2019. Since then, Kuzma has taken shots at Nike at any given opportunity, making him partner to Jaylen Brown in the Nike Haters club.

Kyle Kuzma x Nike – the hate story that keeps giving

Nike got their hands on Kuzma when the former Lakers F came into the league. His $25,000 per year deal fulfilled his desire to wear Kobe’s, his favorite shoe. The Kobe’s was the go-to option for a vast majority of the league’s players. So when Nike did a disservice by not making Kobe Bryant a lifetime athlete after his passing, Kuzma hit out at the brand. “The way the brand handled the whole 24 situation… smh!”, Kuzma tweeted in 2021 after Nike stopped producing Kobe’s due to Vanessa Bryant terminating the contract that was due to the brand’s reluctance to honor Kobe’s legacy.

Last year, Kuzma also blasted Nike, accusing them of ruining the “Nostalgia of jerseys”. This came after the City Edition line’s LA Clippers sets were leaked on X. The jerseys veered off the traditional colors of the franchise and drastically altered the look of the threads loved by the NBA fans. Ironically, his current team’s jerseys are manufactured by the Wizards so Kuzma has to look the part despite his Nike allergy.