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Michael Jordan in Disbelief After Tyler Reddick Hands 23XI Its First Daytona 500 Win

Brigid Kennedy|
Jordan is a co-owner of 23XI Racing alongside driver Denny Hamlin.
Jordan is a co-owner of 23XI Racing alongside driver Denny Hamlin. | Chris Graythen/Getty Image

NBA superstar Michael Jordan just added another championship ring to his collection—though this one will look a bit different than what he's used to.

Jordan's 23XI Racing, a team he co-owns with driver Denny Hamlin, notched its first-ever Daytona 500 win on Sunday, a huge milestone that came at the hands (and feet, for that matter) of driver Tyler Reddick.

Reddick's big moment arrived during the final lap of the race, when he hit a big surge to overtake then-leader Chase Elliott. Elliott ultimately crashed, while Reddick—and Jordan—cruised to victory.

Speaking after the fact, Jordan was in total disbelief.

"I can't even believe it," the all-time NBA great, who turns 63 on Tuesday, told reporters after the win. "It was so gratifying. ... I'm ecstatic. I don't even know what to say. It feels like I won a championship, but until I get my ring, I won't even know."

Watch that full answer below:

Here's a look at the moment Reddick won:

Also racing for 23XI on Sunday were Bubba Wallace, Riley Herbst and Corey Heim. Hamlin, who drives for Joe Gibbs Racing, was involved in a 20-car crash just past the midway point of the race. The 45-year-old was trying to become just the third driver to win four Daytona 500s.

"I'm just speechless," Reddick said immediately after his victory. "I didn't know if I'd ever win this race. It's surreal, honestly."

The win follows an otherwise volatile period for Jordan's squad. As big NASCAR fans might recall, 23XI was one of two teams to sue NASCAR in a high-profile antitrust dispute in October 2024. The case was settled in December 2025.

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Brigid Kennedy
BRIGID KENNEDY

Brigid Kennedy is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, she covered political news, sporting news and culture at TheWeek.com before moving to Livingetc, an interior design magazine. She is a graduate of Syracuse University, dual majoring in television, radio and film (from the Newhouse School of Public Communications) and marketing managment (from the Whitman School of Management). Offline, she enjoys going to the movies, reading and watching the Steelers.

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