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The basketball icon, as he cordially introduced himself in a Charlotte court on Friday, stated that his competitive side and novelty within the sport emboldened his push for 23XI Racing to confront Nascar over alleged violations of antitrust rules.

Financial Stakes and a Will to Win

Jordan shared financial and corporate details of his 23XI team, revealing he put in $40m of his personal wealth into the Nascar Cup series team launched with business partner Curtis Polk and longtime driver Denny Hamlin.

“Someone had to step forward,” Jordan said during testimony. “I was a new person, I had no fear. I felt I could challenge Nascar in its entirety. I felt as far as the sport it needed to be looked at through a new lens.”

The Core Dispute: Charter Agreements and Renewal Demands

The heart of the case involves the end of a 2016 deal where Nascar provided each team a “charter”. The concept is similar to other major leagues with separately owned franchises, like the NBA’s Hornets or the NFL’s Panthers. This deal 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 vying for a glimpse or a photo of the sports legend.

Leading the Legal Charge

23XI Racing is leading the full-court press along with another racing team for Nascar to overhaul a business model Jordan said is breaking the law to keep two hands on the wheel.

For Jordan and and a fellow team representative, who testified before Jordan, are events from September 2024. She recounted a frantic and emotional period where the racing circuit informed teams they had to sign a contract extension. The document spanned over a hundred pages outlining pay for chartered teams and a guaranteed entry in every race.

A Refusal to Sign

Jordan said that 23XI and Front Row Motorsports concluded their only feasible option was to decline to sign that extensive document and take the issue to court. The other 13 organizations signed the agreement.

The team owners approached Nascar about possible changes or extension options. Nascar refused to engage, according to his testimony.

The Bottom Line: Winning

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

“Denny convinced me getting a third driver boosted our odds of winning,” he said, sharing that he bought a third charter late in 2024 for $28m amid the legal dispute. “So I took the plunge.”

Account from the Gibbs Family

Heather Gibbs detailed her request for permanent charters, submitted in a written letter to Nascar. She testified the pressure of the signature deadline was problematic.

According to her, Joe Gibbs 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 Joe Gibbs told Nascar’s leadership. She said France replied, “If I wake up and I have 20 charters, I have 20. If there are 30, that’s the number.”