Cooper Flagg famously picked peas as a child to learn about hard work.
Others of us worked retail.
The Dallas Mavericks forward and former Duke standout steps into the shoes of a Foot Locker employee as the star of the company's "Hoops Lives Here" campaign. The ad debuts on Tuesday, Oct. 20 ahead of the 2026-27 NBA season tipoff. It shows Flagg wearing New Balance gear and hanging out playing video games in the backroom of a Foot Locker store. He assists an employee in reaching tall shelves, among other comedic moments.
“For me, basketball is everywhere in my life. Whether I’m playing, training, watching games or just spending time with people who love the sport, I’m always connected to it in some way," Flagg said in a statement of how the campaign concept resonates with him, noting, "It celebrates all the different ways basketball is part of our everyday lives and brings together those who share a passion for the game.”
The Mavericks open their season on Wednesday, Oct. 21 in a road matchup against Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets. Flagg will be playing in his second season after being drafted No. 1 overall in 2025. He averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists en route to earning last season's Rookie of the Year award.
Flagg's ad follows the debut of Foot Locker's "Hoops Lives Here" campaign in May. In the original spot, Payton Pritchard lounges while eating Chinese takeout, Paolo Banchero makes a smoothie, Chet Holmgren gets ready in a mirror and Jewell Loyd prepares to go to sleep all inside a Foot Locker store.
This fall, Foot Locker became the official athletic footwear retailer of the New York Knicks and will help celebrate last year's championship, the team's first title in 53 years. Besides activations and promotions throughout the season, the company will host a one-day Rings ‘N’ Things pop-up with exclusive merchandise to commemorate the NBA Finals victory.
The new "Hoops Lives Here" ad also shows the growth of the popularity of New Balance. Besides Flagg, the athletic company has Shohei Ohtani, Jamal Murray, Coco Gauff and Bukayo Saka on its roster of athletes.
Shannon Sharpe commented on the growth of the company at ComplexCon earlier this month during a Sneaker of the Year panel.
"It took me a while to get used to New Balance because New Balance used to be, you cut grass in New Balance," he said as the crowd erupted in laughter.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Watch: Cooper Flagg comically helps stock Foot Locker shelves in new ad