Everyone in the NASCAR community knows the relationship between Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin. The two have been friends for a long time, and the culmination was 23XI Racing. Naturally, being friends with Michael Jordan comes with its perks, and Hamlin was privy to them. The Jordan brand has been featured on the #11 car as an associate sponsor, and with 23XI Racing, their drivers had special perks of donning Jordan racing shoes. That’s quite a flex. Only Hamlin had this privilege, but it looks like MJ has a secret pact with Kyle Larson as well.

In a recent conversation, Larson opened up about his racing footwear, which were Jordan Racing-branded. This wasn’t a new development because he had been wearing them for a couple of years now. Apparently, all of this started thanks to one fateful encounter with the NBA legend and 23XI Racing team co-owner. What started as a casual comment from Kyle Larson soon turned into a challenge for Michael Jordan, and that was how he got the shoes.

Kyle Larson told Matthew Welty, “So we actually ran into Michael on vacation and hung out with him for a few days. I was like, ‘Man! How do I get some racing shoes?’ He ended up making me shoes. The last couple of years, I’ve been wearing them they’re pretty cool. They’ve sent me some really cool ones here lately that I’ve been having fun with. Yeah, a little bit, a little bit. It gets complicated, I think, with how many. It’s a big company, so I kind of just let them go with whatever [colour scheme] they think. We’ll send them my firesuit designs and stuff, and they usually send back shoes that match pretty well.”

Larson confessed that he hasn’t spoken to the Joe Gibbs Racing star about it. He said, “I think in the beginning he liked being the only guy on them.” So, Hamlin, along with the 23XI Racing guys, aren’t the only ones flexing the Jordan racing shoes. And it’s more surprising given that MJ is the co-owner of a rival team, but who can say no to a good pair of Jordans?

As it turns out, not just drivers, even the pit crew are getting their hands on the Jordan shoes. Ahead of this year’s Daytona 500, the brand revealed a new launch of the Air Jordan 9 PE. These are not the regular sneakers, but purpose-built fireproof boots that help the pit crews at 23XI Racing to stay safe while performing their duties. Built for pressure, but designed to stay cool, that is how you can describe these boots. And they made it all the way to the victory lane after Tyler Reddick’s memorable victory.

While Larson has bagged the goods from his rivals, as far as his performances go, he’s hit a bit of a slump lately. The outing at Watkins Glen also proved to be a hard grind for the driver of the No. 5 car.

The Hendrick Motorsports star endured a tough day at Watkins Glen

While Shane van Gisbergen was busying delivering a masterclass, Hendrick Motorsports had a miserable day. For the first time since 2005, no HMS car finished in the Top 20 on a road course. Larson was actually the best of the Hendrick quartet in 23rd place, ahead of Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman. William Byron was a little further behind in 36th place and the last of the finishers.

Mercifully, Elliott is still in the championship fight, sitting in third place. Larson sits in 8th, and Byron is 12th, while Bowman has a way to go in 34th place. Though that is largely because he missed four races due to health concerns. Elliott has a win to bolster his chances, but his other three teammates have yet to visit Victory Lane. For the moment, the NASCAR Cup grid has a bit of a break, with the All-Star race coming up this weekend.

There are no points on offer, but bragging rights and a cool $1 million cash prize for the winner. Kyle Larson has won this race three times in the past, two of them for Hendrick Motorsports. Even Chase Elliott won it back in 2020, and the duo would love to do it again. Additionally, William Byron and Alex Bowman would love to add their names to the list. However, they will face stiff competition from other drivers who have won this race in the past and have bagged the $1 million.