Michael Jordan Sparks Fury After Daytona Podium Moment

Michael Jordan should have been soaking in one of the biggest wins of his post-NBA career. 

Instead, the basketball legend found himself at the center of a social media firestorm after a brief podium interaction at the Daytona 500 went viral. 

What was meant to be a celebration of 23XI Racing’s historic victory quickly shifted into controversy, with critics and defenders clashing over a moment involving a young child.

Michael Jordan was celebrating his NASCAR team’s landmark Daytona 500 win when the incident unfolded. 

The NBA icon stood on the podium with driver Tyler Reddick and Reddick’s six-year-old son, Beau, during the wild post-race festivities.

As cameras rolled, Jordan appeared to grab at the young child’s lower back and bottom area. 

The clip quickly spread across social media, where viewers began dissecting the interaction frame by frame.

Some critics immediately questioned why Jordan would make such contact during a public celebration. 

Others suggested the chaotic moment mattered, noting that ice had been thrown during the victory festivities.

Pop Tingz took to their X account with screenshots from the clip, and in no time, the comments section was flooded with angry fans.

Many fans slammed Michael Jordan for his actions with one user writing, “People defending this doesn’t understand the issue is there’s different ways to ‘remove ice from his shirt.’ These specific motions were questionable, it could be misinterpreted but the action was sus.”

A second critic added, “Yeah he is now gross for touching this poor kid. And this is in public. Imagine what he has done in private.”

On Reddit, many users called out Jordan, noting that there was no excuse for his actions. 

“This is wrong. Point blank. Touching someone you don’t know especially a child isn’t okay,” one wrote.

Another commented, “Yeah that is NOT cool, I’m a mom and if he ever does that to my children I do not care that he is Michael Jordan or the Dalai Lama. WHAT IS HE DOING?!?! Very weird and SO INAPPROPRIATE!”

Not everyone saw the interaction as inappropriate. Several supporters rushed to defend Jordan, arguing that the clip was being taken out of context.

One tweet wrote, “All he did was playfully tug his shirt and scratch his knee. Michael is a grandpa, y’all clearly haven’t been loved."

Others agreed. One commenter wrote, "The kid literally had ice stuck in shirt from the celebration. That’s why his shirt has watermarks all over it. MJ was grabbing at the ice to break it up joking with the kid. Maybe all of you are the perverts by projecting all the time.”

A different supporter added, “He’s feeling his fabric after a win. Boy was looking back smiling. He’s getting him new clothes. Looks like he was wet with Gatorade."

A fourth person added, “Nasty minds. Michael did nothing. That’s his friend’s child."

The incident threatened to overshadow what was otherwise a milestone day for Michael Jordan and his 23XI Racing team.

In a clip captured after the win, Jordan bear-hugged Reddick in victory lane before jointly hoisting the Harley J. Earl trophy. 

The win marked a major achievement for the team and for the icon, who turns 63 on Tuesday and will receive a Daytona 500 ring for his birthday.

“It feels like I won a championship, but until I get my ring, I won´t even know,” Jordan said in victory lane, making it known he wears a size 13.

Reddick’s performance added to the drama of the day. Driving a Toyota, he led only one lap, the final lap to the checkered flag. 

He became the 25th different driver to lead a lap, setting a new Daytona 500 record.

For Reddick, the victory carried personal weight. After going winless last year, he had been focused primarily on his infant son, Rookie, who was found to have a tumor in his chest that affected his heart.

Jordan’s presence at Daytona also carried legal significance. He had been the face of a December federal antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR that was settled on the ninth day of trial.

The settlement altered the revenue-sharing model in the United States’ top motorsports series. 

Jordan watched the Daytona triumph from a suite overlooking the superspeedway built by the France family, NASCAR founders and private owners, whom he had just faced in federal court.

NASCAR chairman Jim France, who had been personally named as a defendant in the suit, went to victory lane to congratulate the winners.

Reflecting on the race, Jordan said, per the Daily Mail, “I can´t even believe it. It was so gratifying.”

He added, “You never know how these races are going to end. You just try to survive. We hung in there all day. Great strategy by the team, and we gave ourselves a chance at the end. Look, I’m ecstatic.”

While the podium moment continues to fuel debate online, the Daytona 500 victory stands as one of the most significant milestones in Michael Jordan’s growing NASCAR legacy.