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The basketball icon, introducing himself formally in a Charlotte court on Friday, admitted that his drive to win and novelty within the sport 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 racing venture, saying he put in $40 million of his personal wealth into the Cup Series operation co-founded with partner Polk and longtime driver Denny Hamlin.

“Someone had to step forward,” Jordan said in the Charlotte courtroom. “As a newcomer, I wasn’t afraid. I believed I could take on Nascar in its entirety. I felt as far as the sport required examination through a new lens.”

The Core Dispute: Franchise System and Renewal Demands

The heart of the case involves the end of a 2016 agreement where Nascar provided each team a “charter”. The concept is similar to other major leagues with separately owned franchises, such as the NBA’s Hornets or the NFL’s Panthers. The agreement was due to end in 2024 when Nascar demanded charter membership renewals.

Jordan was on the witness stand for about sixty minutes and left the court to pandemonium, with fans and media clamoring for a glimpse or a picture of the sports legend.

Leading the Legal Charge

23XI Racing is at the forefront of the push along with another racing team for Nascar to overhaul a business model Jordan contended is breaking the law to keep two hands on the wheel.

At issue for Jordan and a fellow team representative, who preceded Jordan, are events from last September. Gibbs described a frantic and emotional period where the sanctioning body told teams they must sign a contract extension. This agreement consists of over a hundred pages outlining team compensation and a guaranteed entry in Nascar-sponsored races.

A Refusal to Sign

Jordan explained that his team and its ally concluded their sole viable path was to decline to sign that extensive document and litigate the matter. The other 13 organizations agreed to the terms.

The team owners approached Nascar about potential amendments or extension options. Nascar wasn’t talking, according to his testimony.

The Ultimate Motivation: Winning

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

“Denny convinced me getting a third driver boosted our odds of winning,” he testified, noting that he bought a third charter last year for $28m despite the uncertainty. “So I dove in.”

Account from the Gibbs Family

Heather Gibbs detailed her push for indefinite franchises, 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 forcing signatures, but CEO Jim France declined the request.

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