Michael Jordan vs NASCAR: Jordan’s Antitrust Showdown Goes To Court | Nba News

NBA legend Michael Jordan appearing in court (X)

Michael Jordan’s new arena? A courtroom. Literally.

The NBA legend has spent a lifetime dominating every arena he steps into — NBA hardwood, sneaker culture, golf courses, even tequila shelves.

And now? Add federal courtroom to the list.

The six-time NBA champion and co-owner of 23XI Racing showed up in a North Carolina courtroom on Monday as jury selection began for his blockbuster antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR.

Analysts are calling it one of the most consequential legal battles in the sport’s history. Jordan, unsurprisingly, is not exactly tiptoeing into this one.

The lawsuit — filed jointly with Front Row Motorsports after both teams refused to sign NASCAR’s new charters last year — accuses NASCAR and CEO Jim France of operating the sport like their personal fiefdom.

According to the complaint, NASCAR’s leadership has “stifled competition,” hoarded control, and made decisions that conveniently benefit the France family at everyone else’s expense: teams, drivers, sponsors, partners, and yes, fans.

The alleged anti-competitive practices read like a greatest hits of monopolistic behaviour: buying up most of the top racetracks, locking in exclusivity deals, acquiring the rival ARCA series, blocking teams from racing elsewhere, and forcing teams to buy parts from NASCAR-approved single-source suppliers.

As 23XI and Front Row put it when announcing the lawsuit:

“No other major professional sport in North America is run by a single family that enriches themselves through these kinds of unchecked monopolistic practices.”

Jordan, naturally, framed it through the lens of competition — the thing he knows best.

“Everyone knows that I have always been a fierce competitor… I love the sport of racing and the passion of our fans, but the way NASCAR is run is unfair to teams, drivers, sponsors, and fans.”

Once famous for taking flight from the free-throw line, MJ is now aiming for something arguably tougher: shaking up NASCAR’s entire power structure.

And if history tells us anything, betting against Michael Jordan usually ends badly.