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The basketball icon, introducing himself formally in a Charlotte court on Friday, admitted that his drive to win and status as a newcomer emboldened his effort with 23XI Racing to “challenge” Nascar over alleged violations of antitrust rules.

Team Investment and a Will to Win

Jordan shared financial and corporate details of his 23XI team, saying he invested $40m of his own funds into the Cup Series operation launched with business partner Curtis Polk and longtime driver Denny Hamlin.

“It fell to someone to act,” Jordan stated during testimony. “I was a new person, I had no fear. I felt I could challenge Nascar as a whole. From my perspective, the sport it needed to be looked at through a new lens.”

Central Issue: Charter Agreements and Contract Pressure

The heart of the case involves the end of a 2016 deal where Nascar granted each team a franchise. This system mirrors other professional sports with separately owned franchises, like the Charlotte Hornets or the NFL’s Panthers. The agreement was due to end in 2024 when Nascar demanded charter membership renewals.

Jordan testified for an hour and left the court to a media frenzy, with onlookers and reporters clamoring for a view or a picture of the global icon.

Leading the Legal Charge

Jordan’s 23XI is at the forefront of the push along with Front Row Motorsports for Nascar to change a business model Jordan contended is breaking the law to keep two hands on the wheel.

At issue for Jordan and Heather Gibbs, who testified before Jordan, are events from last September. She recounted a hectic and tense period where the racing circuit informed teams they had to sign a contract extension. This agreement consists of over a hundred pages detailing pay for chartered teams and a guaranteed entry in Nascar-sponsored races.

Choosing Litigation

Jordan said that his team and its ally decided their sole viable path was to decline to sign that 112-page package and litigate the matter. All other teams agreed to the terms.

Jordan and co-owner Denny Hamlin approached Nascar about potential amendments or extension options. Nascar refused to engage, Jordan said.

The Bottom Line: Victory

But in the end, the pushback against what he saw as a unsustainable system was driven by the familiar goal for Jordan: Success.

“Hamlin persuaded me adding a third car boosted our odds of winning,” he testified, sharing that he purchased another franchise last year for $28 million despite the uncertainty. “So I took the plunge.”

Heather Gibbs’ Testimony

Gibbs described her request for permanent charters, which she said a formal letter to Nascar. She testified the timing 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 declined the request.

“Please don’t force this on us,” Gibbs recounted was the message to Nascar’s executives. She said France replied, “If I wake up and I have 20 charters, I have 20. If I have 30, I have 30.”