Michael Jordan Tells Court He ‘Wasn’t Afraid’ of the Racing Body in Antitrust Trial

The basketball icon, 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 confront Nascar over alleged violations of competition laws.

Team Investment and a Will to Win

Jordan shared financial and corporate details of his 23XI team, revealing he invested $40m of his personal wealth into the Nascar Cup series team launched with partner Polk and driver Hamlin.

“Someone had to step forward,” Jordan said in the Charlotte courtroom. “I was a new person, I wasn’t afraid. I felt I could challenge Nascar in its entirety. I felt as far as the sport required examination through a new lens.”

The Core Dispute: Franchise System and Renewal Demands

The heart of the case involves the end of a 2016 deal where Nascar granted each team a franchise. This system mirrors other professional sports with independent franchises, such as the NBA’s Hornets or the NFL’s Panthers. The agreement was due to end in 2024 when Nascar insisted on teams renew their charters.

Jordan testified for about sixty minutes and left the court to a media frenzy, with onlookers and reporters clamoring for a view or a photo of the global icon.

Spearheading the Fight

Jordan’s 23XI is at the forefront of the push along with another racing team for Nascar to overhaul a business model Jordan said is breaking the law to keep two hands on the wheel.

At issue for Jordan and a fellow team representative, who preceded Jordan, are events from last September. Gibbs described a frantic and emotional six hours where the sanctioning body informed teams they must sign a charter agreement extension. The document consists of 112 pages outlining pay for chartered teams and a guaranteed spot in every race.

A Refusal to Sign

Jordan said that his team and its ally decided their sole viable path was to refuse a signature that 112-page package and litigate the matter. The other 13 organizations signed the agreement.

The team owners approached Nascar about possible changes or extension options. Nascar wasn’t talking, Jordan said.

The Ultimate Motivation: Victory

But in the end, the resistance against what he saw as a financially unsustainable model was driven by the usual bottom line for Jordan: Winning.

“Denny convinced me getting a third driver boosted our odds of winning,” he testified, sharing that he purchased another franchise late in 2024 for $28 million despite the uncertainty. “So I dove in.”

Account from the Gibbs Family

Gibbs described her request for permanent charters, which she said a written letter to Nascar. She said the timing of the signature deadline didn’t sit well.

She said, Joe Gibbs first tried 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 was the message to Nascar’s leadership. The response was, “Whether I have 20 charters, I have 20. If I have 30, that’s the number.”