The NBA legend Testifies He ‘Wasn’t Afraid’ of the Racing Body in Antitrust Trial

Michael Jeffrey Jordan, as he cordially introduced himself in a federal courtroom on Friday, admitted that his drive to win and novelty within the sport emboldened his effort with 23XI Racing to “challenge” Nascar over alleged violations of competition laws.

Team Investment and a Competitive Drive

The owner disclosed financial and corporate details of his 23XI team, revealing he put in $40m of his own funds into the Nascar Cup series team launched with business partner Curtis Polk and driver Hamlin.

“It fell to someone to act,” Jordan stated during testimony. “I was a new person, I wasn’t afraid. I believed I could take on Nascar as a whole. From my perspective, the sport required examination through a new lens.”

The Core Dispute: Charter Agreements and Renewal Demands

The heart of the case involves the expiration of a 2016 deal where Nascar provided each team a franchise. The concept is similar to other professional sports with independent franchises, like the NBA’s Hornets or the NFL’s Panthers. The agreement was set to expire in 2024 when Nascar insisted on teams renew their charters.

Jordan was on the witness stand for an hour and exited the courthouse to a media frenzy, with onlookers and reporters vying for a view or a picture of the global icon.

Spearheading the Fight

23XI Racing is leading the full-court press along with another racing team for Nascar to change a operating model Jordan said is unlawful to keep two hands on the wheel.

For Jordan and and Heather Gibbs, who preceded Jordan, are events from last September. Gibbs described a hectic and tense six hours where the racing circuit told teams they must sign a contract extension. The document spanned 112 pages detailing pay for chartered teams and a guaranteed entry in every race.

Choosing Litigation

Jordan explained that 23XI and Front Row Motorsports concluded their sole viable path was to decline to sign that extensive document and litigate the matter. All other teams agreed to the terms.

The team owners approached Nascar about possible changes or extension options. Nascar wasn’t talking, according to his testimony.

The Bottom Line: Winning

Ultimately, the pushback against what he saw as a financially unsustainable model was mostly about the usual bottom line for Jordan: Winning.

“Hamlin persuaded me adding a third car improved our chances to win,” he testified, noting that he bought a third charter late in 2024 for $28m amid the legal dispute. “So I dove in.”

Account from the Gibbs Family

Gibbs described her push for indefinite franchises, submitted in a written letter to Nascar. She said the pressure of the signature deadline was problematic.

She said, the team founder first attempted to call and talk Nascar out of forcing signatures, but Nascar’s leader declined the request.

“Please don’t force this on us,” Gibbs recounted Joe Gibbs told Nascar’s executives. The response was, “If I wake up and I have 20 charters, that’s what I have. If I have 30, I have 30.”