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Michael Jordan, NBA Hall of Famer and co-owner of 23XI Racing celebrates in victory lane after Tyler Reddick, driver of the #45 Chumba Casino Toyota, wins the NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 15, 2026 in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Basketball legend Michael Jordan may have gone too far in his celebrations after his team, 23XI Racing, secured a landmark Daytona 500 victory on Sunday.
During the post-race festivities, Jordan was seen bear-hugging the winning driver, Tyler Reddick, and jointly hoisting the Harley J. Earl Trophy with the 23XI Racing star.
Shortly thereafter, cameras captured “His Airness” briefly placing his hands on and pinching the lower back of Redick’s son, Beau. The video, which many fans deemed “inappropriate” behavior by Jordan, has since gone viral.
In fairness to Jordan, he shares a close bond with Reddick’s son, Beau, as the NASCAR driver revealed in a 2024 interview with The Athletic. As such, Jordan was likely just being playful with a kid he has known for years through his NASCAR family.
Furthermore, Jordan has been seen celebrating with Beau on several occasions.
Michael Jordan Gets Another Ring
Jordan, who turns 63 on Tuesday, couldn’t contain his excitement when his team secured the Daytona 5000 win, saying it felt like he had won a chip.
“It feels like I won a championship, but until I get my ring, I won’t even know,” Jordan said, via NPR.
The victory was extra special for 23XI Racing as Tyler Reddick entered Sunday’s Daytona 500 on a 38-race losing streak, with his last Cup Series win coming late in the 2024 season. Jordan, though, never stopped believing in his star driver.
“I can’t even believe it. It was so gratifying,” Jordan said of the win. “You never know how these races are going to end. You just try to survive. We hung in there all day. Great strategy by the team, and we gave ourselves a chance at the end. Look, I’m ecstatic.”
Michael Jordan ‘Loves’ His Team
Jordan’s ecstatic celebration on Sunday didn’t come as a surprise to his teammates. Denny Hamlin, the co-owner of 23XI Racing, spoke about Jordan’s passion for racing.
“He loves his race team,” Hamlin said of Jordan. “I was like ‘You know, you guys understand the responsibilities you have, that you have the power to bring joy to Michael Jordan. You have that power and nobody else can do it.’
“There’s nothing else that can bring him the joy that seeing what his team can do and they took it to heart.”
Meanwhile, veteran driver Bubba Wallace used the podium celebration as an opportunity to wish Michael Jordan a 63rd birthday.
“I don’t want my emotions to take away from the monumental day they just accomplished. Happy birthday, MJ. That’s a massive birthday present,” Wallace said. “I thought this was our week, the best 500 I’ve ever had, and come up short, sucks.
“Led a lot of laps, lap leader, I believe. It was a good day for us, but damn. Try again next year.”
Sai Mohan covers the NBA for Heavy.com. Based in Portugal, Sai is a seasoned sports writer with nearly two decades of publishing experience, including bylines at Yardbarker, FanSided’s Hoops Habit, International Business Times, Hindustan Times and more. More about Sai Mohan
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