$3.2 billion icon Michael Jordan reacts to Tyler Reddick’s Talladega win - "Denny Hamlin kept saying I was bad luck, proved him wrong"
23XI Racing co-owner Michael Jordan was ecstatic after witnessing Tyler Reddick's win at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday.
Piloting his No. 45 Toyota, Reddick drove to an emphatic victory in the NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500 race at Talladega Superspeedway. The 28-year-old, battling toe-to-toe with Front Row Motorsports' Michael McDowell, stole away the win after McDowell found himself entangled in a clash with Brad Keselowski seconds before the checkered flag waved.
Reddick, who was running a Jordan Brand-sponsored Toyota in Talladega, secured his first win of the season after 10 races, virtually locking in a playoff spot in successive seasons in his 23XI Racing career. Following the race, Michael Jordan, co-owner of the team alongside Joe Gibbs Racing veteran Denny Hamlin, expressed his elation upon witnessing Reddick's victory first-hand.
Speaking to Fox Sports' Jamie Little after the race, the NBA icon, who is worth $3.2 billion (according to Celebrity Net Worth), addressed the notion that his presence at the track was perceived as bad luck by Denny Hamlin. He said:
"Denny kept saying I was bad luck when I come to the track. And today, we proved himself wrong. Actually, he did a good job at wrecking so we can get up front. So, that is actually pretty good."
Lauding Tyler Reddick's victory, Michael Jordan sympathized with Bubba Wallace, the 23XI driver who was involved in a major crash, ending his race in a DNF.
"I think Tyler did a good job," Jordan said. "Unfortunately, Bubba couldn't finish, but the whole team did a good job. I'm very happy to be here, to see it."
Michael Jordan compares Talladega race to NBA playoffs
Reflecting on the race's intensity, Jordan likened the atmosphere to the NBA playoffs, saying:
"It is NBA playoffs right now, right? So this, to me, is like an NBA playoff game."
The Chicago Bulls legend expressed his jubilation with the team's success. Shedding light on the hard work put in by the crew behind the racetrack, Michael Jordan said:
"We've been working hard, trying to get ourselves up to where we compete against all the top guys in this sport. But we've done a heck of a job just to be where we are."
Acknowledging his transition from the basketball court to the racetrack, Michael Jordan noted the difference in control between the two sports. He said:
"I'm all in. I love it. It replaces a lot of competitiveness that I had in basketball. But this is even worse, because I have no control. When I was playing basketball, I'd have total control but I have no control. So I live vicarously through the drivers, and crew chiefs and everybody. So I'm very happy for 23XI, 110 percent."
With the win, Tyler Reddick has now jumped to fifth position in the NASCAR Cup Series standings. The 28-year-old driver has 316 points to his name. Meanwhile, Bubba Wallace (257) finds himself in 11th position.