Michael Jordan and 23XI’s battle with NASCAR is endless, gruelling, and bitter. Yet one little thing brought a smile to his face leaving the courtroom. It had nothing to do with the legal proceedings and Jordan’s camp taking a strong stance against the sports league. It was one witty kid and a very handy phone.

A clip shows Michael Jordan and his legal team leaving the Western District of North Carolina courthouse after the second week in the 23XI/FRM vs NASCAR antitrust trial. A young boy is at the base of the steps playing a very prominent song. ’90s kids would recognize it instantly.

It was the iconic track, “Be Like Mike” from the 1991 Gatorade commercial when the then Bulls superstar won his first of six titles. The song by Ira Antelis, Steve Shafer went with the slogun, “Be like Mike, drink Gatorade.” But it became the theme of an entire cultural phenomenon of the ’90s where the ‘Be like Mike,’ tagline was at the forefront.

The song was revived when The Last Dance premiered in 2020 with the new version featuring Zion Williamson, Elena Delle Donne and Jayson Tatum. But this one’s going to be more memorable.

The little gimmick not only made Jordan laugh after a draining court appearance, he even shook the boy’s hand. Why that matters? Since the days Be Like Mike was the tagline that united kids in the ’90s, the namesake had not been the most friendly to his young fans. He used to turn down autographs and pictures. And Chris Paul couldn’t even get him to throw a contest so his students could free Air Jordans.

But this guy earned his right to catch some Jumpman aura with his stunt. He’s successfully going viral on social media. Which might mean a good thing after the day Jordan’s had.

Michael Jordan was in a cheeky mood

The battle between NASCAR and the racing outfit owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin has been as dramatic as the day 23XI filed. This week, Michael Jordan himself arrived in court to testify. As with the entire saga so far, there were a lot of revelations.

The racing teams are demanding $365 million from NASCAR in this case. To bolster their side, the legal team representing 23XI Racing-Front Row Motorsports brought out financial experts in the latest hearing. That included a reputable economist and former Yale academic, Dr Edward Snyder who presented the financial structure of NASCAR and the different teams. NASCAR’s attorneys hit back by attempting to discredit Snyder.

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When Jordan stepped up to the stand, he was asked why he’s fronting this lawsuit. “Someone had to step forward and challenge the entity to understand that it is a real concern from our aspect,” MJ told the judge.

In the most MJ fashion, the NBA champ took subtle digs at Jim France too. Like the time he talked about the risks drivers take, he threw in, “I never saw Jim France drive a car or risk his life.”

Jordan talked about the lack of insurance and union in NASCAR amid the $365 million demands. The judge is not done though and extended the trial to tomorrow, Day 6.

The young fan gave him a kick before another day of legal humdrum. Hoepfully he’s back tomorrow with another 90s throwback.