First, the loyalists jumped to the defense, then the NASCAR driver, and now we have a statement from Michael Jordan. The story of winning the Daytona 500 as a team owner took a backseat as allegations from netizens became the headline. Despite his legendary status, the public demanded an explanation, and the 6x NBA champion provided it.

“Look, it’s not the most ideal situation for Michael to be in, but everyone on the team is looking at it as a playful gesture and nothing more nefarious,” a source close to Jordan told Daily Mail. “Tyler doesn’t have any issue with it, and everyone hopes it just goes away and can be looked upon as nothing more than innocent and playful. Michael will not be making a habit of doing this in the future after all the furor. It was meant as nothing more than playful.”

The concluding statement reiterated that MJ, his family, and even Tyler Reddick’s family want to move on from this controversy. “He (Michael Jordan) hopes everyone can celebrate the big win and not try to turn this incident into something more than it needs to be.” The incident threatened to spoil what was otherwise a brilliant day for Jordan and his 23XI Racing team.

But the team’s driver and the winner of the Daytona 500, Reddick, chimed in to clear the air. “From my perspective, I’ve gotten to know Michael and his family very well over the years I’ve been here with 23XI, and I don’t see what other people see when it comes to this,” he said in The Stephen A. Smith Show on SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio.

These reassuring words were crucial for Michael Jordan. A clip went viral where MJ appeared to be pinching the boy’s lower back and brushing his leg. But another report revealed that Beau’s shirt became soaked after Tyler Reddick dumped ice water on him during the celebration, and Jordan was simply trying to brush the ice off the six-year-old.

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For MJ and Reddick, this is not affecting their relationship because the Bulls legend has often been playful in the past. Reddick won the Talladega Superspeedway in 2024, and Beau was in MJ’s arms. “He did a great job. You here to celebrate?” Jordan asked Beau. The answer was a loud “Yeah,” which prompted Michael Jordan to laugh.

For now, Jordan and Reddick want the celebration not to turn into a controversy, but a milestone that could further strengthen Jordan’s growing presence and influence within NASCAR.

Michael Jordan’s win closed old wounds

It was in 2020, alongside Denny Hamlin, that 23XI Racing was announced. In 2026, a 44-year-old’s dream of MJ winning the Daytona 500 as a team owner was completed. But the road was rocky, alongside challenges. The major one that dominated the headlines was the legal charter dispute against NASCAR. Words were exchanged, and everyone thought it would be a standstill. But eventually cooler heads prevailed.

After the landmark settlement, which made the charters permanent and increased revenue for teams, things seemingly changed between Michael Jordan and NASCAR chairman Jim France. The latter was seen congratulating the winners in victory lane as he shared an embrace with MJ. “3 months ago, they were at each other’s throats. “Time heals all wounds,” former driver and analyst Kenny Wallace explained the situation perfectly on social media.

Just like the win helped to move on from the old issue, Michael Jordan didn’t expect the celebration to create a new controversy. That’s why the statement from the close source puts this issue to bed.