Basketball legend Michael Jordan could not contain his excitement when his racing car, driven by Tyler Reddick, won the Daytona 500 on Sunday. As the 23XI team celebrated, a clip of Jordan seemingly pinching the bottom of Reddick’s son, Beau, quickly went viral.
One fan reacted to the controversial scene:
“He has ‘Jeffrey’ as his middle name. #ReleasetheMJfiles”
Another fan added:
“Don’t tell me MJ is on #TheList”
One more fan continued:
“Horrible day for the NBA.”
Another fan commented:
“Michael ‘Jeffrey’ Jordan sounds about right.”
One fan tweeted:
“Michael Jeffrey Epstein Jordan.”
Most fans connected the “Jeffrey” in Jordan’s name to Jeffrey Epstein, a man who went to jail for 13 months due to child prostitution. In 2019, Epstein was again arrested for allegedly trafficking minors. He died by suicide while awaiting trial in August that year.
Epstein is in the limelight again after the U.S. Department of Justice finally released millions of files relating to the convicted sex offender. Adding more controversy to the scandal is the inclusion of powerful figures in the list of names associated with Epstein.
Michael Jordan was ecstatic following Tyler Reddick’s come-from-behind win. Reddick, who did not win one event in 2025, lost his last 38 races before finishing first in Daytona. Reddick did not even lead the full final lap before teammate Riley Herbst crashed into pack leader Chase Elliott.
The Chicago Bulls legend gave credit to his team’s resilience, emphasizing that they stuck to their game plan.
“Games aren’t won in the first quarter, or even the third. They can be lost then, for sure. But you can’t make a buzzer-beater if you aren’t there for the buzzer.”
Michael Jordan’s comments were spot on. However, a part of his celebration received backlash from fans who thought he went out of bounds.
Michael Jordan in Disbelief After Winning Daytona 500
Michael Jordan and legendary racing driver Denny Hamlin debuted 23XI Racing at the 2021 Daytona 500. Four years later, the team celebrated winning the event behind the Toyota Camry driven by Tyler Reddick.
Jordan said while watching the championship celebration:
“I can’t even believe it. It was so gratifying. We had four guys that were really fighting, that was helping each other out. … We hung in there all day. Great strategy by the team. We gave ourselves a chance at the end. Look, I’m ecstatic. I don’t even know what to say.”
The six-time NBA Finals MVP added that he wears a size 13 ring, which will be needed for his new championship hardware.
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