It should only be a matter of weeks before we know who’s named the 2025-26 NBA Rookie of the Year and at this point, it can only be one of two players: the Dallas Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg or Kon Knueppel of the Charlotte Hornets. With a record-setting scoring streak now positioning Flagg as a favorite, the New Balance endorsee found some time in his busy schedule to debut a new sneaker from the brand during his final tunnel walkthrough of the season.

Ahead of the Mavericks’ home win against the Chicago Bulls, Flagg strolled through the tunnel in a pine green New Balance tracksuit, but it was his footwear selection that drew the most eyes. On foot, Flagg laced up what’s confirmed to be the New Balance 950, a new lifestyle sneaker from the brand that’s expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

While only a portion of the new 950 sneaker can be seen, the upcoming release appears to borrow design language from New Balance’s retro basketball product. The new model is reminiscent of the once-ubiquitous 550 sneaker, although the midsole and leather paneling of the 950 appear less ornate and technical than the 550. And unlike the 550, which became a full-blown hit thanks to its Aimé Leon Dore collaborations, the new 950 doesn’t appear to be a reissue of a past New Balance design. 

The 950 worn by Flagg features a simple white leather construction paired with a pre-yellowed rubber midsole and uses a low-top silhouette. On his Instagram story, Flagg shared another colorway of the 950 sneaker with mint green accents. 

Like many models in New Balance’s numeric naming system, the 950 shares digits with other shoes from the brand’s history including an umpire field shoe and a military-issued running shoe. There’s also an international-exclusive everyday model dubbed the Dynasoft 950. 

New Balance confirmed that the 950 is an inline lifestyle silhouette that will be released later this year. More details are expected to be announced soon.