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The basketball icon, as he cordially introduced himself in a federal courtroom on Friday, stated that his drive to win and status as a newcomer emboldened his effort with 23XI Racing to “challenge” Nascar over alleged violations of antitrust rules.

Team Investment and a Will to Win

Jordan shared operational insights of his racing venture, saying he invested $40 million of his own funds into the Nascar Cup series team co-founded with business partner Curtis Polk and longtime driver Denny Hamlin.

“It fell to someone to act,” Jordan said during testimony. “As a newcomer, I wasn’t afraid. I felt I could challenge Nascar in its entirety. From my perspective, the sport it needed to be looked at from a different view.”

Central Issue: Charter Agreements and Contract Pressure

At issue is the end of a 2016 deal where Nascar granted each team a franchise. This system mirrors other professional sports with separately owned franchises, such as the Charlotte Hornets or the NFL’s Panthers. The agreement was set to expire in 2024 when Nascar insisted on teams renew their charters.

Jordan testified for an hour and exited the courthouse to a media frenzy, with onlookers and reporters clamoring for a glimpse or a photo of the sports legend.

Leading the Legal Charge

Jordan’s 23XI is at the forefront of the push along with another racing team for Nascar to overhaul a business model Jordan said is unlawful to keep two hands on the wheel.

At issue for Jordan and Heather Gibbs, who testified before Jordan, are events from September 2024. Gibbs described a frantic and emotional six hours where the racing circuit told teams they must sign a contract extension. The document consists of over a hundred pages outlining pay for chartered teams and a guaranteed entry in every race.

A Refusal to Sign

Jordan said that his team and its ally decided their sole viable path was to refuse a signature that extensive document and litigate the matter. The other 13 organizations signed the agreement.

The team owners reached out to Nascar about possible changes or extension options. Nascar wasn’t talking, Jordan said.

The Ultimate Motivation: Winning

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

“Hamlin persuaded me getting a third driver boosted our odds of winning,” he said, noting that he bought a third charter late in 2024 for $28m amid the legal dispute. “So I dove in.”

Account from the Gibbs Family

Gibbs described her request for permanent charters, submitted in a formal letter to Nascar. She testified the pressure of the contract signing demand didn’t sit well.

According to her, the team founder first attempted to call and persuade Nascar against forcing signatures, but Nascar’s leader declined the request.

“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, that’s what I have. If there are 30, I have 30.”