Michael Jordan has a confession: the high-octane world of NASCAR is the only thing keeping him “alive” following a legendary basketball career that he eventually viewed as a “huge burden.”
While fans might expect a six-time NBA champion to miss the global spotlight of the hardwood, Jordan admits that the transition to the racing world has provided the escape he has craved since his days in Chicago.
“It’s something that I think keeps me alive,” Jordan shared when discussing the second act of his career as a co-owner of 23XI Racing.
For the man who defined an era of sports, the move wasn’t just about business-it was about finding a “quieter life” where his individual stardom didn’t overshadow the competition itself.
Escaping the weight of the NBA dynasty
Jordan spent 13 iconic seasons with the Chicago Bulls, a tenure that transformed him into a global phenomenon but also came with a heavy price. According to Jordan, the sheer scale of what he represented in the NBA arena eventually became suffocating.
“When I say I wanted to retire and get to a quieter life, I wanted to get away from basketball in terms of what I represented in that arena and how big I’ve gotten,” Jordan confessed.
It was such a huge burden for me. Here, I’m not in that same realm. It’s still not the same as me playing in Chicago… but it’s something that I think keeps me alive.
In the NASCAR garage, the focus naturally shifts to the machines and the drivers taking them to the limit.
For those dedicated solely to racing, Jordan’s accolades on the court are often secondary to the performance of the 23XI fleet, allowing him to adapt to a new “realm” where he can be a competitor without being the main attraction.
Finding a home in the 23XI garage
Though Jordan initially sought a quieter existence, his innate competitive drive made a passive retirement impossible. He quickly found a new home alongside Denny Hamlin, launching 23XI Racing and immersing himself in the team’s operations.
While some observers initially viewed his NASCAR participation as a celebrity branding exercise, the 2025 off-season proved otherwise. Jordan has become a fixture in the garage, evolving from a passive owner into an active presence within the team.
By trading the burden of NBA superstardom for the strategic challenges of the track, Jordan has managed to strike a perfect balance: maintaining his competitive edge while finally finding the relative peace he couldn’t find in the NBA.
