Michael Jordan offered a brief, but potentially telling, response to a reporter when spotted arriving at a North Carolina courtroom for the start of an antitrust lawsuit trial against NASCAR.
In response to The Athletic’s Jordan Bianchi on Monday (Dec. 1), the NBA champ and 23XI Racing co-owner offered a quick “Nope” when asked whether he could believe the fact that he he was now heading to court over the multi-pronged disagreement.
There’s a lot, potentially, on the line in connection with a legal battle that finds Jordan’s company alleging alongside Front Row Motorsports that NASCAR is operating as a monopoly.
As the trial begins, get caught up on key points below.
What has Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing said?
In October 2024, 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports named NASCAR and its chairman, Jim France, in a federal antitrust lawsuit. The focus was on the stock car racing company’s charter system, which Jordan and others have argued doesn’t allow for a fair sharing of revenue. At the time, the teams slammed NASCAR at large, and its founding France family specifically, as “monopolistic bullies.”
What has NASCAR said?
Complex has reached out to NASCAR reps for comment. This story may be updated.
In a previous statement, per the Associated Press, a spokesperson said NASCAR had engaged in “nothing anticompetitive” throughout the process of growing the brand.
“NASCAR believes in the charter system and will continue to defend it from 23XI and Front Row’s efforts to claim that the charter system itself is anticompetitive,” the rep said.
NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps said in October that a settlement was being pursued, albeit to no avail as of this writing.
What happens now?
On Monday (Dec. 1), jury selection and opening statements were set to begin in the antitrust lawsuit trial. If the claims of being “monopolistic bullies” are found to be true, NASCAR will potentially be facing extensive overhauling.
A settlement is also not off the table.