"He’s obviously very excited": Denny Hamlin on Michael Jordan satisfying his winning itch in NASCAR following Chicago Hornets sale
During a post-race press conference at Michigan, Denny Hamlin was asked what having Michael Jordan around meant for 23XI Racing. Jordan is one of the biggest names in global sports, one of the most successful athletes across sport, and currently a co-owner of the NASCAR team with Hamlin.
Hamlin spoke about Jordan satisfying his winning itch through his ownership in the NASCAR team, following last year's $3 billion sale of his majority ownership stake in the Charlotte Hornets NBA team.
Jordan was in attendance for Sunday's race at Michigan which got delayed to Monday because of the weather. The NBA legend couldn't make it to the racetrack for the conclusion of the race, which his driver Tyler Reddick won in overtime.
Post-race, a reporter asked the other co-owner of 23XI, Hamlin, whether he had heard from MJ after the win, to which he said:
"Yeah, I mean, he’s obviously very excited. Him coming to Michigan, he’s got a schedule of races that he’s going to be going to here, the Playoffs as well. This is a fun hobby for him, a fun business for him, right? This fills a lot of gaps of the competitiveness that he has lost by not being part of the Hornets anymore." [13:55]
Hamlin added that Jordan is all about winning, and in their conversations and meetings, the latter only wanted to talk about how to win.
He shared more details about his co-owning experience with Jordan, saying MJ gives him the liberty to run the organization his way:
"That’s really fun when someone who is such a big part of your team gives me the liberty to run this the way I see fit, make personnel changes the way I see fit, make hires for the future, giving me that autonomy. It’s just awesome and it’s why it’s working so well," Hamlin said.
Hamlin has also spoken at other times about Michael Jordan's supportive relationship with him.
Denny Hamlin opens up on Michael Jordan being a big supporter of his
During a conversation earlier this year with former NASCAR driver Kenny Wallace, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver opened up on Michael Jordan's support for him and his championship bid.
It's worth mentioning that despite being in the sport for two decades and winning over 50 races, Hamlin hasn't won a Cup championship yet.
“He’s always been such a big supporter of mine. You can go back to video of him coming to Homestead when I’ve been part of the championship battle for years and years. He’s always attended. He’s gone out of his way to support me," Hamlin said.
The #11 driver said that along the way, Jordan has given him motivation and told him things that get him to lock in and remain focused. But at the same time, the former Chicago Bulls man also knows that it's Hamlin's responsibility "to want it."
Hamlin said that if he himself doesn't want it as bad as it takes to win, then winning a championship would not be a possibility.
However, this year Hamlin already has 3 wins to his name, the most for him in the Next Gen era at this stage of the season. And with 23XI Racing also firing on all cylinders, this could be the year that Hamlin wins a championship, potentially as a driver or as an owner.