The Daytona 500 was meant to be a milestone moment for Michael Jordan and his NASCAR team. Instead, a brief interaction during the celebrations has become the centre of attention. Jordan attended the race to support driver Tyler Reddick, whose last-lap move secured victory in what is widely regarded as NASCAR’s most prestigious event. The win marked the first Daytona 500 triumph for Jordan’s co-owned team, 23XI Racing, and prompted emotional celebrations on the track. Reddick described the moment as “just incredible how it all played out” and admitted he had already “lost my voice from screaming.” But while the result carried sporting significance, a short clip filmed during the celebrations quickly began circulating online and shifted the conversation away from the race itself.
The moment that sparked debate
The footage shows Jordan standing behind Reddick’s six-year-old son Beau during the post-race celebrations. As the crowd gathered and drinks were sprayed, Jordan repeatedly reached toward the back of the child’s shirt, making small pinching motions, before his hand briefly brushed the back of the boy’s legs. Beau turns around, apparently reacting to the contact. There is no indication of wrongdoing in the clip and the child does not appear distressed. Still, once the video spread across social media, interpretations diverged sharply. One user wrote, “This is another level of weirdness.” Another added, “Tugging/tickling a kid in a crowded celebration might look off without context. Hope it’s just over-the-top excitement, but optics matter.” A third posted, “That’s inappropriate unless that’s his child or they have a good relationship.” More hostile reactions also appeared. “Straight to jail,” one person wrote, while another declared, “Goat debate is over. MJ is no longer the goat.” Others went further, posting, “Michael Jeffrey Epstein Jordan is disgusting,” and “searches the Epstein files for Michael Jordan”. At the same time, a different group of viewers interpreted the clip as harmless. “He’s obviously just playfully teasing the kid,” one fan wrote. Another said, “Looks to me like he’s getting his hand wet off the kid’s shirt then wiping it on his leg. I don’t see anything weird.” Some suggested the child had been drenched during the celebration: “His driver’s son got drenched during the celebration and he was only trying to help get it off him. Honestly, who would want their child drenched in beer?” Others believed there was a practical reason, writing, “Maybe there is more to it, someone said the kid got ice down his shirt.” The authenticity of the clip was also questioned. “Has someone verified this video?” asked one user, while another insisted, “This is lighthearted, I don’t see anything wrong with this.”
Context around the relationship
Those defending the moment pointed to the long-standing relationship between Jordan and the Reddick family. Jordan and Reddick share close ties through NASCAR, and the connection stretches back further than the team itself. Reddick previously said Jordan knew his father-in-law, former baseball pitcher José DeLeón, during his time around the Chicago White Sox organisation. He believes there may even be a photo of Jordan holding his wife Alexa as a baby, recalling: “I’ve seen a couple photos Alexa and her mom have… I think there’s even a picture, I could be wrong, of MJ holding Alexa as a baby.” Because of that history, some viewers saw familiarity rather than intrusion. “Oh stop it. That’s the winner’s oldest son. MJ is clearly like FAMILY,” one comment read. Another added, “Normal behaviour with kids. Sometimes you gotta bother them to get them to talk to you.” Jordan himself has spoken about the personal meaning NASCAR holds for him, recalling watching races with his family for hours in North Carolina and saying the sport connects him to home. The Daytona victory therefore carried emotional weight beyond competition, something visible in the celebrations before the video surfaced online.
A celebration overshadowed
The debate unfolded during what had otherwise been a major achievement for 23XI Racing. Reddick led only a single lap of the race, but it was the one that mattered, taking the chequered flag in front of more than 150,000 spectators and lifting the Harley J. Earl Trophy alongside Jordan. Neither Jordan nor the team has addressed the viral clip publicly. The moment remains a brief fragment of a crowded celebration, interpreted in opposing ways by viewers who either saw an awkward gesture or a familiar one.
