Another must-watch moment for
Michael Jordan as NBA great testifies at NASCAR trial
[December 06, 2025]
By JENNA FRYER
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Michael Jordan has had a lifetime of big
moments. His latest came on the witness stand in a federal
courthouse.
The retired NBA great testified Friday against NASCAR in an
antitrust case he is pursuing against the stock car series on behalf
of his race team, 23XI, along with Front Row Motorsports. Both want
to force NASCAR to change the way it does business with its teams,
accusing it of monopolistic behavior.
“Someone had to step forward and challenge the entity,” the
soft-spoken Jordan told the jury. “I felt I could challenge NASCAR
as a whole."
It was a different role for the 62-year-old Jordan, known best for
the six NBA titles he won with the Chicago Bulls and his business
interests in retirement, including his still relatively new role as
a NASCAR team co-owner with three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny
Hamlin. 23XI is a combination of Jordan's longtime jersey number and
Hamlin's race car number.
Dressed in a dark blue suit, Jordan slowly headed to the stand for
the afternoon session, adjusted the seat for his 6-foot-6 frame and
settled in. Those in the packed courtroom hung on every word.
Jordan said he grew up a NASCAR fan, attending races at 11 or 12
with his family at tracks in Charlotte and Rockingham in his home
state but also at Darlington in South Carolina and the Talladega
superspeedway in Alabama.
“We called it a weekend vacation,” he said.
There were moments of levity on a dramatic day of testimony that
also included Heather Gibbs, the daughter-in-law of team owner and
NFL Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs. People were turned away from the
courtroom and U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell couldn't help but
notice the high attendance in front of him as well as an overflow
room nearby.
“I take it Mr. Jordan is the next witness,” Bell quipped.
Outside the courthouse in downtown Charlotte, a crowd gathered for
the first time this week for a chance to see Jordan. One woman
screamed “Oh My God, Mike! You are an icon, you the best, you the
best to do it in the NBA!” Another claimed to have played golf and
cards with Jordan acquaintances while asking Jordan to pose for a
photo with his daughters.
Jordan said, “Man, it's cold out here for you guys,” before
complimenting the two girls on their Nike-branded hoodies.
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Michael Jordan arriving to federal courthouse to testify in NASCAR
antitrust case on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025 in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo)
A spectator held a sign that read "NASCAR Your Fans
Deserve Better" and Hamlin turned to him and said “You're right” as
they tried to make their way through the throng to a caravan of
waiting SUVs.
On the witness stand, Jordan noted he was an early fan of Richard
Petty, like his dad. He later gravitated to Cale Yarborough, “the
original No. 11. Sorry, Denny,” Jordan testified as Hamlin watched
from the gallery.
Jordan was asked to outline his career, noting his time with the
Bulls and adding he remains a minority owner of the Charlotte
Hornets. Did he play anywhere else?
“I try to forget it but I did,” said Jordan, who played for the
Washington Wizards in a mostly forgettable return to the NBA after
his championship runs with the Bulls and a brief time playing minor
league baseball.
But Jordan spent most of his time making clear why he was in court
suing the series he loves over the charters that guarantee teams
revenue and access to Cup Series races. Among other things, the
plaintiffs want the charters made permanent, which NASCAR has balked
at.
“Look, we saw the economics wasn’t really beneficial to the teams,”
Jordan testified, adding: “The thing I see in NASCAR that I think is
absent is a shared responsibility of growth as well as loss.”
As the session wound down, defense attorney Lawrence Buterman noted
the novelty of cross-examining an icon like Jordan, closing with the
comment: “Thank you for making my 9-year-old think I’m cool today.”
“You’re not wearing any Jordans today,” Jordan replied. When he was
dismissed from the stand, he said "whew” and made his way back to
the seat in the front row he's occupied all week.
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