In 2020, when Michael Jordan’s rumored NASCAR venture with Denny Hamlin, 23XI Racing, finally broke ground, Kevin Harvick had just missed out on the Championship 4 with an astounding 9 wins, his best-ever season record in over 2 decades of Cup Series experience. On the other hand, after claiming his third Daytona 500 victory with Joe Gibbs Racing, Denny Hamlin made the final four for the fifth time in a bid to claim that elusive championship.

The #11 driver was no pushover either, as Hamlin claimed 7 victories that season, albeit losing out to Chase Elliott for the Bill France Cup. Nevertheless, his NBA Hall of Famer business partner at 23XI may have grown an affinity towards a different driver in the Cup Series. And, when Denny himself revealed that MJ is indeed a fan of the 2014 Sprint Cup Series champion, the man in question, Harvick, had an unusual and fearful reaction.

Kevin Harvick overturned Bristol Blues with Big Mike’s boost

The latest episode of Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour saw him host Denny Hamlin for a candid conversation, which had Harvick saying, “It’s definitely my favorite interview that I’ve ever done as a broadcaster here at NASCAR on FOX.” The former rivals sat together in discussions to talk about many stories. But one stood out from the rest when Harvick revealed a larger-than-life anecdote involving Big Mike and his infectious personality post-retirement. 

To put things into context, Harvick took viewers back to his P29 finish at the Bristol Night Race last year. Ironically, Hamlin had claimed his 51st victory in this event. 2023 was also Kevin Harvick’s farewell tour, and the season ended with him racking up no wins with the #4 car. But Harvick found an unlikely inspiration in these dismal times.

He elaborated, “Michael [Jordan] has to be one of the most pretty normal human beings ever. Last year we were at Bristol, and we had an absolutely miserable day, and I’m walking out with my head down the tunnel, and all of a sudden, this big hand just reaches up behind me and grabs my neck.” The Bakersfield, CA, native did his best MJ impression, explaining the series of events that happened afterward: “He said, ‘Boy, you don’t have anything to be worried about.’” 

“I look back, and I’m like, ‘Holy sh*t, that’s Michael Jordan,’ and he grabs my neck, and he says, ‘You’ve had one hell of a career, son. You need to pick your head up,’ and he walked me all the way out that tunnel.” MJ’s leadership and empathy were on full display that day as the 6x NBA champ gave what Harvick described as “the biggest pep talk,” so effective that “by the time I got to the top of the tunnel, I’m like, ‘Things are pretty good.’”

Hamlin interrupted the host’s original chain of thought as he made a declaration on behalf of his 23XI co-owner for Harvick to comprehend, “I can tell you for a fact that Michael Jordan is a Kevin Harvick fan. No doubt about it.” Harvick then laid out the most happy Harvick-esque response ever in only five small words. “Don’t tell my wife that!”

Michael Jordan has a knack for motivating people. It’s what he did with one of his drivers at 23XI. In an appearance on The Kenny Wallace Show, Tyler Reddick recalled a conversation with the Chicago Bulls legend. “I think back to a conversation we had in Daytona a year ago. We were hanging out before the race, and [Jordan] reminded me. He was like, ‘You’re kind of terrible on the speedway race tracks.’”

Reddick assured Jordan that he’d work on getting better, and that’s precisely what he and his team did during the off-season. And that talk with the team’s owner, as well as the work Reddick put in, worked in the 28-year-old’s favor. He started this season strong, winning the Bluegreen Vacations Duel 1 at Daytona.

Coming back to Hamlin and Harvick’s conversation, it concluded in laughter. But a deeper connection between arguably the greatest basketball player of all time and the world’s premier sanctioning body for stock-car racing was revealed in candid camaraderie.

MJ’s decades-long love affair with NASCAR

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Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin’s wholesome interaction sheds light on Michael Jordan’s genuine interest in the premier stock-car racing experience. The Jumpman’s affinity for NASCAR dates back decades, as he once told Marvin G. Shanken, even before his investments in 23XI, “I also grew up a NASCAR fan, a Richard Petty fan. I was more into stock car racing than I was into anything else.”

His active involvement in 23XI Racing’s off-track activities has also been the topic of much discussion alongside right-handers Curtis Polk and Hamlin. Last week at COTA, Michael Jordan was present one more time to gain the most recent overview of his 50-50 NASCAR venture and provide words of encouragement to the 23XI drivers, #23 Bubba Wallace and #45 Tyler Reddick.

The #45 driver’s aforementioned interaction with Jordan reveals that the co-owner is more than just a stakeholder but also an active fan. Only Michael Jordan could deliver a driver critique like that, calling Reddick “terrible on the speedway race tracks.” With rumors of a third charter entry in 2025, 23XI Racing looks like one of the most exciting places to be in NASCAR at the moment.

Michael Jordan’s “Brutally Honest” Bombshell Turning the Tide for His “Terrible” Speedway Driver