Brian Kortovich and Alex Toussaint attend Aces Night Out at Sei Less on June 21, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images)
Brian Kortovich is making quite the impact off of the basketball court as a former player with his brand, ACES.
The former pro basketball player never quite made it professionally to the NBA -- he had preseason camp stints with the New York Knicks and New Jersey Nets -- but he played professionally overseas in countries such as France, Kuwait, Israel and the Dominican Republic.
Kortovich also made his name on the streets of New York City's EBC RuckerPark against well-known players such as Joe Hammond and Kevin Durant, winning the scoring title in the process. However, an Achilles injury eventually spelled the end of his basketball career, leading him into starting ACES as a brand platform.
That passion for basketball that led him to an athletic career eventually paved the way for the 44-year-old Kortovich to make his mark with his brand. While the platform is well-known for its clothing -- think stylish jackets and hats -- it also acts as a content marketing brand.
Kortovich -- through ACES -- has held activations at major events and has had partnerships with the likes of Nike, NBA 2K, New Era. The brand recently held an activation during 2026 NBA All-Star weekend with Chase and DoorDash.
Those stints in the NBA and in NYC led to Kortovich developing friendships with players such as Knicks great Allan Houston and former longtime NBA vet P.J. Tucker.
Houston detailed that he met Kortovich following the conclusion of his own career -- he was hired in 2008 by the Knicks organization as an assistant to the president of basketball operations -- when Kortovich was a player in training camp in 2010. They bonded over a three-point shooting contest that both claim was a tie to this day.
"I've been enjoying and impressed by how Brian has stuck to a vision, using his platform to try to help people, but also something that's very strategic, right branding and is very nuanced," said Houston. "It's intentional, especially when it involves helping other people. I think that's really what I've seen with with him is he's really formulated good relationships, held on to them. With me it's not about -- and this is another thing that's really hard, especially harder today more than ever because everything is so transactional -- is being authentic.
"Obviously you could help me, but I'm here to help you just as much," Houston continued. "My mother would always tell me things have to be reciprocal, and everybody has to win. Most people will come out and say, 'Hey, I need you to do this.' But they're not sure or willing to say what I can do for you. That's another thing that I've appreciated about about BK."
Kortovich said basketball being taken away from him led him to becoming the successful businessman and entrepreneur that he is today.
"Basketball was taken away from me early," said Kortovich. "I got a cup of coffee in the league or whatnot. Never made a team, but got close, and it didn't change who I was. So for Allan to speak truly that to me, meant a lot. There's one more thing he said -- I think he remembers this in 2024 after he spoke to all the All-Americans at the MBPA -- he said something like, 'Brian, thank you. I couldn't put together the top 30 kids in the country. You did and gave me a platform.'
"I'm like, 'Whoa no, thank you," Kortovich continued. "They all wanted to hear him speaking, the impact that he had on their lives by speaking to them. I want to provide value in a platform for him, so for him to recognize that in that moment, that meant a lot to me."
Kortovich hammers home the "authenticity" factor is a big reason why the Knicks great and himself have been such good friends over the years. It's also a big reason why he's been able to grow the ACES platform.
"Why I think we've been able to grow this platform across all the verticals from grassroots to the professional ranks is you can say authenticity," said Kortovich. “But to hear someone of Allan's stature and what he's done, it's who he is as a person, too. That's why Allan has longevity. That's why I think we connected right away, too. It's faith. We share faith, faith in the Lord and God. I wouldn't be here without that as well, and I know he wouldn't be either.”
Houston doubled down and also said one of the reasons Kortovich has made such an impact in the industry among basketball fans is that he's "authentic" and "real."
"I still go back to the same thing -- people want to be a part of something that's authentic, that's real, that you want to be a part of at the end of the day," said Houston of Kortovich. "I think he has created that attraction. We always want to start with what we're doing and what we can get or gain, but we skip the most important part of who are we, and the thing that Brian has held on to is who we authentically are and let that be the root and the tree and then the branches and the fruit come off of that.
"We always want to start with the fruit and then work back," Houston continued. "It really comes back to just being who you are, staying consistent with that, and being that all the time. Those people are going to be the people who are in line with you. But also they're going to be people who are going to be consistently with you. Everything's relationships."
Houston said his favorite ACES item are the nylon jackets and what makes the brand stand out. He said his three-point shooting is what made him stand out during his NBA career, ranking second in Knicks franchise history in the category.
“I would say those nylon kind of jackets are unique,” said Houston. “They have a style to them, a functionality to them. They’re versatile, they can have an athletic, a lifestyle appeal. In fashion, you got to have something that is a staple. You gotta have something that you’re identified with. For me, it was shooting. You have something that people can say, ‘Oh, that’s that.’ I think that’s probably the thing that I would say stands out.”