How a chance Jalen Brunson meeting helped turn brothers clothing company into $300 million success
These two chill surfers picked the right time to ride the Jalen Brunson wave.Twin brothers Alex and Mike Faherty, who grew up in Spring Lake on the Jersey Shore, founded Faherty Brand in 2013 and have turned it into a $300 million success.Things took a turn when they met Brunson through a mutual friend while at the Jersey Shore in the summer of 2022.The pair and Brunson — who spent a portion of his childhood in South Jersey and has a home in Margate — hit it off and the company, which is inspired by the brothers’ coastal upbringing, signed the point guard as a brand ambassador not long after he inked his first deal with the Knicks in July 2022.That came after Brunson spent his first four NBA seasons with the Dallas Mavericks primarily as Luka Doncic’s backup.Since coming to New York, Brunson has become one of the biggest stars in the league.“I’m a huge lifetime Knick fan and when the Knicks signed Jalen, we knew that he was going to be such a difference maker to the team,” Alex, who is the CEO of Faherty Brand, said in an interview with The Post.
“[Before working with Brunson] we’d been thinking about and talking about… that it would be great to sort get our inroads into sport because my brother and I are lifetime athletes and Villanova fans.”Brunson won two NCAA national championships with Villanova in 2016 and ’18 before heading to the NBA.Alex played football at Yale and went on to work in private equity.Mike, a former Division III basketball player at Washington University, was a fashion designer for Ralph Lauren.Their respective knowledge in finance and fashion was a solid foundation for the brand.Alex explained that him and Mike, who is the brand and chief creative officer, bonded with Brunson over sports and their love of New York.
“[Brunson] knew the [Faherty] brand and liked the gear,” Alex said, adding that their families have also gotten along well.“For both of us, we wanted to get to know each other first..
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