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NBA legend Michael Jordan’s new love of sports takes place on a running track rather than a court.
But the competitive juices he’s known for remain flowing, as his 23XI Racing team sits atop the 2026 NASCAR Cup standings thanks to the four victories Tyler Reddick has already earned in seven starts.
Jordan made an appearance on “CBS Mornings,” where co-host Gayle King discussed his competitive spirit now in NASCAR. Jordan’s response was that he is “cursed” by the need to push for greatness, no matter the task at hand.
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NBA Hall of Famer and co-owner of 23XI Racing Michael Jordan celebrates after Tyler Reddick, driver of the No. 45 Chumba Casino Toyota, won his third straight race to kick off the 2026 NASCAR season by winning the NASCAR Cup Series DuraMax Powered by RelaDyne Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas on March 1, 2026 in Austin, Texas. (James Gilbert/Getty Images)
“I think I’m cursed,” Jordan said. “I’m cursed with this competitive gene that everything I do is from a competitive perspective, you know? And in a way, it keeps me young. It makes me think aggressively and positively. It either helps me understand everything that I’m involved with and that I’m connected to.”
Jordan told King that even the tiny task of getting ready in the morning becomes competitive when he knows his wife, Yvette, is involved.
MICHAEL JORDAN’S NASCAR DRIVER MAKES HISTORY WITH 3RD CONSECUTIVE VICTORY TO START 2026 SEASON
“I have to take a shower and go to the bathroom before she comes in so she doesn’t slow down my time and I can get to the golf course on time,” Jordan said. “I have to drop the kids off. I have all these other things I have to do.”
Of course, Jordan’s competitiveness has been on full display since his days at UNC before becoming an NBA legend with the Chicago Bulls. He doesn’t know exactly when this need to be competitive began, but he knows it was childhood.
NBA Hall of Famer and co-owner of 23XI Racing Michael Jordan attends the NASCAR Cup Series Straight Talk Wireless 500 at Phoenix Raceway on March 8, 2026 in Avondale, Arizona. (Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
“I don’t know. I think my hunger to prove as a kid created this competitive feeling in me that has transcended and taken over everything I do,” he said. “And I think that’s a good trait to have because some people don’t have that trait.
“Some people are on the cusp of what success really means and never get over that hurdle. I think it helps you evaluate each step of success. Believe me, I’ve had my failures in terms of steps.”
For 23XI Racing, which is co-owned by veteran NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin, it wasn’t an immediate success. But through hard work and determination, 23XI Racing has become a top team.
Due to the success and slow climb to get to this point in NASCAR, Jordan can’t shake this racing bug.
NBA Hall of Famer and co-owner of 23XI Racing Michael Jordan celebrates with a crew member of the No. 45 Toyota Xfinity after driver Tyler Reddick won the NASCAR Cup Series Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway on March 22, 2026 in Darlington, South Carolina. (Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
“Once I get over it, it’s contagious,” he said. “It’s that feeling, you know, that you’ve accomplished something. I’ve made it to this hill. It’s a long way to get up this hill.
“I think every time you see me giddy in the pit, it’s because we’re doing it. We’re absolutely doing it. We’re starting to make a difference in a sport that no one thought we could make a difference in.”
