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Last night was an unforgettable moment for Cooper Flagg. The freshman sensation led the Duke Blue Devils to a 100-93 win over the Arizona Wildcats to advance into the Elite Eight.
Flagg filled up the box score with 30 points, six rebounds, and seven assists. However, the future first pick of the NBA Draft landed in the middle of an unexpected online beef between Nike and New Balance.
Last August, Flagg signed a sneaker deal with New Balance. It was a massive win for the Boston-based brand, which heralded his signing as "the intelligent choice."
30 BURGER IN THE SWEET 16 pic.twitter.com/EXG5lKLww9
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) March 28, 2025
Meanwhile, New Balance has to wait until Flagg hits the NBA before the phenom can wear the brand's shoes on the court. While Flagg plays for Duke, he must wear Nike shoes and gear on the court.
During last night's standout performance, Flagg wore the Nike Kobe 6 Protro in the "Sail - All-Star" colorway.
After the game, Nike trolled New Balance and Flagg with a social media post that immediately animated basketball fans and sneakerheads.
Nike quote-tweeted Bleacher Report's post showing Flagg's highlights and stats with a sharp four-word jab, "Powered by the Swoosh."
Powered by the Swoosh. https://t.co/WQ5VtTweJP
— Nike Basketball (@nikebasketball) March 28, 2025
College basketball fans on social media live for drama, but Nike's punch at New Balance did not land the way the company had hoped. Most of the replies were filled with people saying it was a weak attempt at trolling over a player who had already signed elsewhere.
Our regular readers know that sneaker companies are getting increasingly more aggressive with each other on social media.
Nike usually receives the most shots as it is easily the top dog in the footwear industry. Yet, its counterpunches usually fall flat (perhaps leave the trolling to adidas).
Whenever Duke's run in March Madness ends, fans will never see Flagg wear Nike again. For New Balance, that cannot come soon enough. Follow Sports Illustrated's Kicks On SI for all your footwear news.
More Sneakers News
Kendrick Perkins lost his sneaker supply after calling LeBron James the GOAT.
LeBron James refuted the idea that he signed with Nike because of Michael Jordan.
The adidas Anthony Edwards 1 Low "3SSB" arrives before Easter.
JuJu Watkins' player-exclusive Nike basketball shoes drop before next season.
Nike cancels Charles Barkley's upcoming sneaker release.
More must-reads:
- Concerns continue to mount after No. 12 Kentucky's latest loss
- Five things we're liking in the 2025-26 women's college basketball season so far
- The 'Men's Final Four hosts since 2000' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
Cowboys' Jerry Jones has made a decision about George Pickens
The Dallas Cowboys made a big gamble in the offseason. On paper, adding George Pickens to the mix was going to work wonders for the passing game. However, Pickens had a long history of character issues, and watching Mike Tomlin essentially give up on him wasn't an encouraging sign. Fast forward to today, and the Georgia product has finally shown what he's capable of. That's why he may not be going anywhere. Jerry Jones wants to keep George Pickens around Cowboys insider Jon Machota of The Athletic reported that Jones affirmed that he's willing to spend big bucks to keep Pickens around, even though he's already committed more than $60 million a year to defensive tackles. Jones had previously been more tight-lipped about this situation, claiming that money would obviously be a factor to consider. But after watching Pickens haul in nine receptions for 144 yards and one touchdown in the 33-16 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday, he may have changed his stance. Jerry Jones gushes about George Pickens' performance Following the win, the Cowboys owner/GM had nothing but praise for the former second-round pick. "Pickens was — I’ve never seen a performance like that. It was poetic the way that he was making those moves out there. It was like he was in an opera or something out there. A ballet," Jones said, per Pro Football Talk. Character concerns aside, Pickens has all the talent in the world, and his tandem with CeeDee Lamb is one of the most explosive in the league. He's up to 58 receptions on 83 targets for 908 yards and seven touchdowns in his first 10 games with the Cowboys, and he's looking at a big payday this offseason.
Steve Kerr 'very concerned' about worrisome trend plaguing NBA
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is sounding the alarm on a troubling trend affecting the league that could potentially worsen down the line. The NBA has faced some huge crises over the past few months. The Kawhi Leonard-Aspiration issue in the offseason raised concerns about the Los Angeles Clippers potentially circumventing the salary cap. The arrests of Chauncey Billups and Terry Rozier highlighted the growing threat of sports gambling on the integrity of the game. Steve Kerr highlights an under-the-radar concern While those fiascos have understandably grabbed headlines, Kerr recently expressed unease about a different issue that’s flying under the radar. The Warriors coach admitted to ESPN’s Anthony Slater that he is “very concerned” that the heightened pace of play in the modern game over an 82-game schedule may finally be taking its toll on the Association, with a growing number of soft tissue injuries impacting players of late. Eight different players have suffered soft tissue injuries over the past couple of weeks, headlined by stars like Anthony Davis, Victor Wembanyama and, most recently, Giannis Antetokounmpo. Kerr stated that the Warriors’ medical staff believes “wear and tear, the speed, the pace, the mileage” are increasing the risk of today’s players suffering such injuries. “Across the league, everyone understands that it’s easier to score if you beat the opponent down the floor, get out in transition,” Kerr said. “But when everybody’s doing that, the games are much higher-paced. Everyone has to cover out to 25 feet because everybody can shoot 3s. We have all the data. Players are running faster and further [than] before. We’re trying to do the best we can, but we basically have a game every other night. It’s not an easy thing to do.” Kerr, who has been an advocate for shortening the regular season, also lamented the struggles teams face with the league schedule, which makes it difficult for teams to get adequate recovery and practice time. With the Steph Curry-era Warriors being a huge part of the NBA’s pace and space movement, Kerr knows just how physically demanding the modern game has become. But with the financial implications that come with potentially shortening the season, Kerr understands that such a drastic change to the NBA schedule is “not happening” anytime soon.
Dallas Cowboys just got even better at a position they're already looking great at with latest roster move
Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Kenny Clark found the perfect word to describe the team's defensive tackles during the win over the Las Vegas Raiders: Nasty. It's easy to see why. Clark, Quinnen Williams, and Osa Odighizuwa combined for three sacks and nine quarterback hits. They made plays against the run, too, with three combined tackles for loss and a lot more plays invisible in the eyes of the stat sheet but important nevertheless. Odighizuwa and Williams led the NFL in PFF defensive grades for all defensive tackles for Week 11. It wasn't only nasty, it was scary. And believe it or not, that position group for the Cowboys just got better on Tuesday. The team announced its activated Perrion Winfrey from its Injured Reserve. Winfrey was a preseason standout not expected to make the 53-man roster when he was signed. However, his strong play everywhere on the defensive line earned him a spot on the team, though an injury delayed his season debut until now. In Week 12, he is set to officially join one of the best defensive tackle rooms in the NFL. The Cowboys waived LB Damone Clark to open up a roster spot. Winfrey's activation poses first-world problem for the Cowboys With Winfrey's activation, the Cowboys have six defensive tackles on the 53-man roster, which is considered on the higher side in the NFL. On a 48-man gameday roster, it's difficult to use six spots on defensive tackles. For reference, Dallas has listed at least one defensive tackle as an inactive player every week this season—most times as a healthy scratch. Before it was either Jay Toia or Mazi Smith. Now, the Cowboys might be forced to place Toia—a seventh-round rookie—on the inactives list but he's the only true nose tackle on the team. Even on Monday, he logged 13 defensive snaps. The alternative could be to place Winfrey in the inactives while the room remains healthy. Defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus has a tough decision to make. But anytime you're forced to choose because of having too many good players in one position, it's a first-world problem to have. window.addEventListener('message', function (event) {if (event.data.totalpoll event.data.totalpoll.action === 'resizeHeight') {document.querySelector('#totalpoll-iframe-375').height = event.data.totalpoll.value;}}, false);document.querySelector('#totalpoll-iframe-375').contentWindow.postMessage({totalpoll: {action: 'requestHeight'}}, '*'); This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Nov 18, 2025, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
3 Overreactions After Dallas Cowboys Crush Las Vegas Raiders
After looking competitive—even in defeat—the past two weeks, the Las Vegas Raiders seemed poised for a breakthrough. Instead, everything crashed back to earth Monday night. Time to react. John Spytek might be a terrible GM… We’ll get to the coaching staff later, but something far more glaring needs to be addressed first: the roster construction has been disastrous. It’s difficult to identify a single offseason move by GM Mike Spytek that has clearly worked. Defensively, the first-year general manager essentially let everyone walk. The only returning pieces were Isaiah Pola-Mao, Malcolm Koonce and Adam Butler. Butler has been steady, but the other two have struggled. The rest of the secondary and all of the linebackers were rebuilt with bargain-bin free agents—nearly all of whom have been poor fits. The lone modest success is Eric Stokes, who has been serviceable at corner. On offense, the only major swing was the trade for Geno Smith. Anyone watching can see that move has backfired. The lack of other additions, especially along the offensive line, was equally baffling. The draft offered little relief. Most of the rookies can’t crack a starting lineup at three positions where the Raiders are thinnest: cornerback, offensive line and wide receiver. The only pick showing real promise is running back Ashton Jeanty, taken sixth overall—and even that looks questionable given positional value and the team’s many other needs. There’s a chance the coaching staff influenced these decisions, but their usage of the roster suggests they aren’t high on these players either. The coaching staff hates the roster… It’s hard to fully explain, but it feels as if the coaching staff has little faith in most of the roster—including players they handpicked. Rookies continue to sit behind veterans who look overmatched, and the one rookie who does play is barely used. And remember the move for veteran quarterback Smith? Chip Kelly now has him running a college-style offense because he no longer trusts him. The defensive decisions are just as baffling. Maxx Crosby’s role has been altered for no clear reason, making him less effective. Pola-Mao and edge rusher Eric Snowden have been miscast, with the staff apparently convinced Snowden is an off-ball linebacker. And it’s worth noting that Germaine Pratt, who received a major contract last offseason, was effectively run out of town within five weeks. The message from the staff to the locker room is unmistakable: they don’t believe in their players. The players, in turn, are starting to respond in kind. This Raiders team has checked out… After two weeks of fighting, the Raiders’ edge vanished before the first quarter even ended Monday night. Tackling looked optional, blocking wasn’t far behind, and the low point came on a George Pickens touchdown where the entire secondary appeared content to watch him stroll into the end zone. It only got worse after halftime. Las Vegas folded completely. Every offensive snap felt like a jailbreak, and the defense let the Cowboys march wherever they wanted. Even as Dallas bled the clock late, the Cowboys kept pushing forward while the Raiders simply let it happen. The lone exception was Maxx Crosby, who played with his usual intensity. Beyond him, the roster looked ready for the offseason. Unfortunately for Las Vegas, nearly two months remain—and it’s shaping up to feel like an eternity.
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