Michael Jordan has been reluctant to do interviews with the motorsports media since becoming a NASCAR team owner in 2020.
Sunday, the basketball legend could not wait to talk to Fox Sports after Jordan’s 23XI Racing driver, Tyler Reddick, pulled off a thrilling last-lap win at Talladega Superspeedway.
Jordan’s drivers had earned four NASCAR Cup victories entering Sunday, but Reddick’s stunning win marked the first time Jordan had been at the track to witness a victory.
And it was stunning, as Reddick bolted from fifth place in the final turn into the lead after cars in front of him tangled.
Afterward, Jordan smiled broadly as Fox Sports’ Jamie Little corralled him for a rare interview.
“Denny (Hamlin, 23XI co-owner) keeps saying I was bad luck when I come to the track,” Jordan said. ‘Today proved him wrong.”
“I think Tyler did a good job … The whole team did a good job. I’m very happy to be here to see it. Everybody tells me when we win, we can have a good celebration. This is the first time I’ve been here. To my wife and my kids and everybody, ‘Yeah, we did it — I’m sorry I left you home!’
“As you know, this is the NBA Playoffs right now. So this, to me, this is like an NBA Playoff game, I am so ecstatic … we’ve been working hard trying to get ourselves up to where we can compete against all the top guys in this sport.”
In Jordan’s excitement, he accidentally substituted first “tournament” and then “game” for race, but no one can blame him.
“We’ve done a heck of a job just to be where we are,” Jordan said. “And for us to win a tournament … win a game … win a big race like this, it means so much to me for the effort that the team has done.”
Jordan is clearly enjoying his role as a NASCAR team owner. Winning makes everything even sweeter — especially when he’s at the track to celebrate.
“I’m all in, I’m all in I love it, it replaces a lot of the competitiveness I had in basketball,” Jordan said. “But this is even worse, because I have no control. If I was playing basketball I have total control, but I have no control, so I live vicariously through the drivers and crew chiefs and everybody. So I’m very happy for 23XI.”
[@thecomeback; Photo Credit: Fox Sports]
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.