Michael Jordan vs. NASCAR

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Michael Jordan has found a groove in NASCAR. Not only has Jordan brought his trademark swagger to the racetrack, designing cars with Jordan Brand’s iconic elephant print, he’s also brought a winning mindset to 23XI racing as it qualified for the Championship 4 over the weekend.

MJ has always loved racing since his childhood growing up in North Carolina—he’s been a constant presence at NASCAR races this season, cheering on 23XI drivers Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace (and their families) as they’ve raced across the country.

@nascar

Nobody happier about @Tyler Reddick’s win than Michael Jordan and Beau! 🙌 #NASCAR #Talladega

But Jordan has also brought a cultural upgrade to NASCAR—sneakerheads have always loved the crossover with Jordan Brand. They’ve been on the hunt for the extremely rare Jordan Motorsport retro collection over the last two decades. Now there’s a car racing with the iconic Jumpman logo week in and week out.

While Jordan is still searching for his first NASCAR title, the battle has shifted from the asphalt to the courtroom. Jordan is suing NASCAR for what he views as an unfair and anticompetitive business model. As things stand, his 23XI racing team would not take part in the 2025 season. 

In classic Jordan fashion, he doesn’t like to lose, even showing up for a court hearing recently in Charlotte. Last week, a judge ruled that he and other team owners who sued NASCAR for a greater share of racing revenues would not be able to force the competition to guarantee their drivers key slots in the upcoming 2025 season. It’s unclear how this all unfolds, but one thing’s for certain: for NASCAR’s sake, we hope MJ hasn’t taken this personally. 

The Caitlin Clark effect: name another athlete more representative of the new dawn in women’s hoops over the past year. We’ll wait. 

Now, weeks into the WNBA offseason, she’s lending some of that star power to a different sport altogether.

Wednesday morning, Clark will play in the pro-am ahead of the LPGA’s The Annika, teeing up alongside Nelly Korda, who was just named player of the year. Even the most die-hard golf fans are not ones to consider a pro-am must-see television, but thanks to Clark, the golf world is going all out.

@rosalina_lee

The Caitlin Clark Effect is REAL ⛳️ #caitlinclark #indianafever #lpga #wnba

The LPGA and Golf Channel will be live-streaming Clark’s warm-up on the range, and will feature a walk-and-talk interview with her on the course. Just a few weeks ago, Clark posted a video of herself nearly hitting an ace while playing a par 3 course. Maybe all she needs to finally nab one is a crowd. 

@caitlin.clark22

So close to my first hole in one 😭⛳️@lexiehull

Women’s golf could be primed for a breakout season. Maybe Clark’s presence can help jump-start the explosion.