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The basketball icon, as he cordially introduced himself in a Charlotte court on Friday, admitted that his drive to win and novelty within the sport motivated his push for 23XI Racing to confront Nascar over alleged violations of competition laws.

Team Investment and a Will to Win

Jordan shared financial and corporate details of his 23XI team, revealing he invested $40 million of his own funds into the Nascar Cup series team launched with partner Polk and longtime driver Denny Hamlin.

“Someone had to step forward,” Jordan said in the Charlotte courtroom. “I was a new person, I had no fear. I believed I could take on Nascar in its entirety. From my perspective, the sport required examination from a different view.”

Central Issue: Charter Agreements and Contract Pressure

At issue is the expiration of a 2016 agreement where Nascar provided each team a franchise. This system mirrors other major leagues with independent franchises, such as the Charlotte Hornets or the Carolina Panthers. This deal was set to expire in 2024 when Nascar insisted on teams renew their charters.

Jordan was on the witness stand for an hour and exited the courthouse to a media frenzy, with onlookers and reporters vying for a view or a picture of the global icon.

Spearheading the Fight

Jordan’s 23XI is leading the full-court press along with another racing team for Nascar to overhaul a business model Jordan contended is breaking the law to maintain excessive control.

At issue for Jordan and a fellow team representative, who preceded Jordan, are events from last September. She recounted a hectic and tense six hours where the racing circuit told teams they had to sign a charter agreement extension. The document consists of over a hundred pages outlining team compensation and a guaranteed entry in Nascar-sponsored races.

A Refusal to Sign

Jordan said that 23XI and Front Row Motorsports concluded their only feasible option was to refuse a signature that 112-page package and litigate the matter. The other 13 organizations signed the agreement.

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

The Bottom Line: Winning

Ultimately, the resistance against what he saw as a financially unsustainable model was driven by the familiar goal for Jordan: Winning.

“Hamlin persuaded me adding a third car boosted our odds of winning,” he testified, noting that he bought a third charter late in 2024 for $28 million amid the legal dispute. “So I took the plunge.”

Account from the Gibbs Family

Gibbs described her push for indefinite franchises, which she said a formal letter to Nascar. She testified the pressure of the signature deadline was problematic.

She said, Joe Gibbs first tried to call and talk Nascar out of demanding signatures, but Nascar’s leader refused the appeal.

“Don’t do this to us,” Gibbs recounted Joe Gibbs told Nascar’s leadership. She said France replied, “If I wake up and I have 20 charters, that’s what I have. If there are 30, that’s the number.”