“I love the sport of racing and the passion of our fans, but the way NASCAR is run today is unfair to teams, drivers, sponsors and fans.” Michael Jordan declared this in a statement that sent shockwaves through the NASCAR community in 2024. This was followed by his 23XI Racing team, alongside Front Row Motorsports, launching an antitrust lawsuit against the sanctioning body. This fiery stance marked a dramatic turn in Jordan’s racing journey—a journey that kicked off two decades earlier when the basketball legend first felt the rush of motorsports on a MotoGP track.

Michael Jordan’s connection with motorsports runs deep. From going to NASCAR races with his dad, James Jordan, while growing up in North Carolina to riding dirt bikes since the age of 5, he’s always been a thrill seeker. However, his passion and talent for basketball were unmatched. After completing a Hall of Fame career in 2004, playing his final season with the Washington Wizards, Jordan had an experience that sealed his future in the world of motorsports.

Michael Jordan’s high-speed adventure on a Ducati

In October 2004, Michael Jordan, fresh off retiring from the NBA for a third time, swapped his basketball jersey for a set of custom leathers at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia, Spain, during a promotional event for the MotoGP season finale. The then-41-year-old hopped onto a 230 bhp Ducati Desmosedici GP4, a machine built for the world’s elite riders.

Sporting his iconic Jumpman logo, Jordan took to the track with MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi watching, his competitive spirit evident as he tackled a few laps on the intimidating bike. Though not a seasoned rider, his athleticism shone through, leaving a lasting impression on those who witnessed the NBA star’s daring foray into two-wheeled racing. Accompanying Jordan were other racing icons like Sete Gibernau, Colin Edwards, Kurtis Roberts, and Kenny Roberts Jr. The experience was a thrilling challenge for the 6X NBA Champion, who confessed that he wanted to pull a wheelie but got scared!

Jordan said as per Road Racing World: “That was fun, but I only got it up to fourth gear. I can’t imagine what these things are like wide open in sixth… These things have so much power, I was trying to pull a wheelie, but in the end was a bit too afraid, so I just started waving! I guess you could say I need a bit more time to get used to all that power.”

Jordan’s visit was a moment of pride for the series as well. Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports and the rights holder to the series, welcomed Jordan to the track and praised his knowledge of the sport. “The visit of a world sport star with the profile and prestige of Michael Jordan is fantastic for MotoGP,” said Ezpeleta. “We had heard that he was interested in visiting MotoGP and that he was a big fan, but we were surprised by his knowledge of the championship and the riders. He was here on a private trip with friends, but he showed what a nice guy he is with his patience and humility.”

Well, Michael Jordan‘s knowledge of the sport should come as no surprise. In 2004 itself, Jordan was already sponsoring Montez Stewart in the AMA Supersports and Superstock biking. His visit to Valencia was to witness the Valencia GP, and the legend joked that he got roped into driving these bikes by Sete Gibernau, saying, “It was Sete who talked me into it!”

This is where it all changed for Jordan. The adrenaline rush from riding in the Ducati was enough to light the match inside him. Even though he would eventually only become a NASCAR co-owner in 2021, his journey that started with sponsoring a team in the AMA Superbike Championship bloomed into a successful NASCAR venture 17 years later. That day in Valencia wasn’t just a stunt—it ignited a passion that led Jordan down the path of high-speed thrills.

The NASCAR lawsuit that rocked 2025

Fast forward to 2025, and Michael Jordan’s love for racing had pulled him into a whole new kind of race—one that played out in a federal courtroom, with the stakes higher than any checkered flag. As co-owner of 23XI Racing with Denny Hamlin, Jordan’s team joined forces with Front Row Motorsports to file an antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR in October 2024, claiming the sport’s charter system and revenue-sharing setup were holding teams back.

Jordan didn’t mince words, saying, “Today’s monopolistic practices are even worse for the sport than the problems we faced in 2023,” a sentiment that captured his frustration with how NASCAR was running the show, as reported by the Daytona Beach News-Journal. Their lawyer, Jeffrey Kessler, echoed the sentiment with a fiery, “We are fighting for a competitive market where teams can thrive,” painting a picture of a battle for fairness that had Jordan’s competitive spirit written all over it.

By February 2025, things had heated up even more when a federal judge gave the green light for the lawsuit to move forward, shutting down NASCAR’s attempt to dismiss it. NASCAR hit back with a countersuit, claiming 23XI and Front Row were colluding to muscle better charter terms, even pointing fingers at 23XI co-owner Curtis Polk for allegedly stirring up a boycott at a Daytona qualifying race.

But through all the legal drama, 23XI Racing kept their eyes on the track, running cars for Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick, and even rolling out a third car in 2026 after Judge Kenneth Bell approved their preliminary injunction. For Jordan, this fight isn’t just about racing—it’s about leaving a mark, just like he did back in ‘04 on that Valencia track, where the roar of a Ducati first whispered the thrill of speed into his soul. Whether he’s tearing up a straightaway or taking on NASCAR’s bigwigs, Jordan’s all about rewriting the rules, and he’s not slowing down anytime soon.