The NBA legend Testifies He ‘Wasn’t Afraid’ of the Racing Body in Antitrust Trial

The basketball icon, introducing himself formally in a Charlotte court on Friday, stated that his drive to win and novelty within the sport emboldened his effort with 23XI Racing to confront Nascar over perceived violations of competition laws.

Team Investment and a Competitive Drive

Jordan shared financial and corporate details of his racing venture, revealing he invested $40m of his personal wealth into the Nascar Cup series team launched with partner Polk and longtime driver Denny Hamlin.

“It fell to someone to act,” Jordan said during testimony. “As a newcomer, I had no fear. I believed I could take on Nascar as a whole. I felt as far as the sport it needed to be looked at from a different view.”

The Core Dispute: Charter Agreements and Contract Pressure

The heart of the case involves the end of a 2016 agreement where Nascar provided each team a “charter”. This system mirrors other major leagues with independent franchises, like the NBA’s Hornets or the Carolina Panthers. This deal was due to end in 2024 when Nascar insisted on charter membership renewals.

Jordan was on the witness stand for about sixty minutes and left the court to a media frenzy, with onlookers and reporters vying for a view or a picture of the sports legend.

Leading the Legal Charge

23XI Racing is at the forefront of the push along with Front Row Motorsports for Nascar to change a business model Jordan said is unlawful to maintain excessive control.

For Jordan and and a fellow team representative, who testified before Jordan, are details from last September. She recounted a frantic and emotional period where the sanctioning body informed teams they must sign a contract extension. This agreement spanned 112 pages outlining team compensation and a guaranteed spot in Nascar-sponsored races.

A Refusal to Sign

Jordan said that his team and its ally decided their only feasible option was to decline to sign that 112-page package and take the issue to court. All other teams agreed to the terms.

Jordan and co-owner Denny Hamlin approached Nascar about possible changes or negotiations. Nascar refused to engage, Jordan said.

The Ultimate Motivation: Winning

But in the end, the pushback against what he saw as a financially unsustainable model was driven by the familiar goal for Jordan: Success.

“Hamlin persuaded me getting a third driver improved our chances to win,” he testified, sharing that he bought a third charter last year for $28 million amid the legal dispute. “So I dove in.”

Account from the Gibbs Family

Heather Gibbs detailed her push for indefinite franchises, submitted in a formal letter to Nascar. She said the timing of the signature deadline didn’t sit well.

She said, the team founder first attempted to call and talk Nascar out of forcing signatures, but CEO Jim France refused the appeal.

“Please don’t force this on us,” Gibbs recounted was the message to Nascar’s executives. The response was, “If I wake up and I have 20 charters, I have 20. If I have 30, I have 30.”