What it’s like under the watchful eye of Michael Jordan in the heat of a NASCAR race

3 weeks ago

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What it’s like under the watchful eye of Michael Jordan in the heat of a NASCAR race

Many of those who played alongside Michael Jordan in the NBA have described him as someone who would test a teammate’s mental toughness to come through in big moments. Some did not meet this high standard. But for those who earned Jordan’s trust, he didn’t hesitate to pass them the ball with the play on the line, believing they would undermine the shot.

Billy Scott jokes that even though he’s tall, he’ll never be mistaken for a basketball player. Nevertheless, the crew chief of NASCAR championship finalist Tyler Reddick – who drives for 23XI Racing, the team Jordan co-owns – has his boss’s full confidence to hit a shot when they hit the basketball court. He passed Jordan’s exhilarating test, something that came with the highest praise from someone whose career has been defined by being on the chain.

“He said he’s willing to give me the ball if time is running out, that he believes in me,” Scott said. “When you hear that, you get the confidence to continue to believe in what we do.”

Similar to the iron will that has been the hallmark of Jordan’s career on the hardwood, one characteristic that defined the No. 45 team’s march to the Championship 4 finals at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday is gruesome. Reddick persevered through a stomach flu to capture the regular-season points title; the team overcame crash damage in a Round 2 elimination race in the playoffs, with Reddick having to drive through the field to finish high enough to advance; and a combination of Scott’s wise pit strategy, a bit of luck and Reddick’s skill took them to an incredible victory in a semi-final race that secured a spot in the championship.

Every time the No. 45 team has had to go big in the playoffs, it has done so.

Driver Tyler Reddick and Michael Jordan celebrate Reddick’s win two weeks ago at Homestead, which earned him a spot in Sunday’s championship race. (Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

Jordan attended each of these races and watched all of these moments up close, either on top of the No. 45 team pit box with Scott or in the pit box next to the crew.

When someone of Jordan’s stature, let alone someone whose competitive zeal is legendary, is watching your every move and expected to perform at a high level, it can be nerve-wracking. Not so, says the number 45 team.

“When he is there, everyone has a new impetus, more confidence. Like, ‘Yes, this is our guy and he’s on our side,'” Scott said. “Because he’s really integrated into it, he understands it. He studies the sport. I think he knows what’s going on with strategy, tires and aero packages. He understands things like that as well as many of us sometimes do.

“He knows the right time to say things in certain situations.”

When Jordan teamed up with Denny Hamlin to form 23XI four years ago, it was natural to wonder how active he would be in leading the team. It is common for celebrities to own part of a team but have little actual involvement.

For Jordan, however, 23XI has not been a vanity project. And since selling his majority stake in the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets last summer, his involvement with 23XI has only grown.

The extra time off allows Jordan to attend more races, where he engages Scott by asking questions about key strategic decisions.

“He has great insight and asks great questions, and it’s never misplaced or unwarranted,” Scott said. “They’re all things that even help us think about things.”

Michael Jordan wanders the pit area during the September race at Darlington Raceway. “When he’s there, everyone is reinvigorated,” said crew chief Billy Scott. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Jordan is also a regular participant in 23XI’s weekly match meeting. He will often say little, preferring to listen and only say something when he feels he has something to contribute.

Perhaps the most important example occurred last summer. At the time, both Reddick and fellow 23XI driver Bubba Wallace were in a slump, having failed to finish in the top 10 in any of the past five races. The frustration was great. Excuses are thrown around. Fingers pointed. Then the six-time NBA champion spoke.

“He listened to it and listened to it, and at the end he gave his opinion on what he heard,” Hamlin said. “And he didn’t like what he heard, and he made some pointed comments about what championship teams sound like and what winning teams sound like and how we need to change the way we communicate and the way we shift blame around the world. place.

“That was kind of a pivotal moment for our team and our drivers to hear and take responsibility for each person’s shortcomings and how to get better. That was a big moment in changing the mentality of our team.”

Dave Rogers, 23XI senior competition director, nods emphatically when asked about the meeting. It still resonates, he says, as a key block in building 23XI into a team capable of winning a cup title.

“He emphasizes that you do what you have to do to ensure you perform at the highest level and have a winning chance,” Rogers said. ‘And if you succeed, great. And if you don’t, move on. He’s all about supporting your teammates when they take the winning shot and don’t make it. He is all about teamwork.”

Both Reddick and Wallace recovered and each qualified for the playoffs. Reddick finished the year with nine top-10s and a win in the last 17 races, reaching the semifinals. This year the increase has continued. Reddick won the regular season points title and earned 23XI’s first-ever finish in Championship 4, a remarkable achievement for a team that was only in its fourth year of existence. And while Wallace missed the playoffs, he has set career highs in several statistical categories.

“It’s really cool to be able to share the highlights, for sure,” Reddick said. “It comes down to the passion that people like him, myself, Billy and other people who are part of 23XI have for racing and the desire to perform at that level. So when that all comes together and you have great moments, it’s great to share it with like-minded people.”

Michael Jordan looks on during the September race at Darlington. “How can you not get excited during a pit stop for MJ?” says Wade Moore, Tyler Reddick’s tire transporter. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Wade Moore, the tire carrier for Reddick’s pit crew, played college baseball at North Carolina State and was drafted by the Washington Nationals, where he played in their minor league system for a few years. This experience, he says, helped him adapt to a pressurized environment in which he and others in the crew, many of whom also played high-level college sports, must work under Jordan’s piercing gaze as they attempt a nine-second long match. pit stop.

“How can you not get excited during a pit stop for MJ?” Moore said. “It’s great. He is so emotionally involved and that means a lot to us as athletes. To see him and see the emotion on his face, the excitement, the disappointment, it’s all part of the human element of what we do. So he rides that roller coaster too.”

It’s a bond atypical of most owner-pit crew relationships. In many ways, Jordan is an entrenched member of the team.

“It’s obvious from the way he greets you, just the handshake,” Moore said. “Because there is a difference between the corporate handshake and the athlete handshake. He gets it. He will be the first to bump into us or congratulate us when we make a good stop. But then of course you’re also going to miss shots. And when we do, he picks us up and doesn’t approach anyone. He’s just very encouraging.”

On Sunday, Jordan will be at Phoenix Raceway to watch the championship finale, likely behind Scott in the pit box or downstairs with the pit crew, an unmistakable presence next to a No. 45 team accustomed to one of the world’s best teams. most iconic athletes carefully observe their every move.

“You have one of the biggest competitors that has this perspective on everything that is 100 percent accurate,” Scott said. “And he’s on your side, in your corner, where if you need anything, he’s there. He sympathizes with you. There is some value in that. That no matter how it turns out, he lived through it. He has the same emotions, high and low. It makes it feel like it’s much more of a united team.”