Michael Jordan Trial: Inside $3.8 Billion NBA Legend's Surprising Legal Fight With NASCAR & more

NASCAR: Straight Talk Wireless 400 - Source: Imagn
NASCAR: Straight Talk Wireless 400 - Source: Imagn

Michael Jordan has a well-documented history as one of the most competitive NBA superstars of all time. It's poetic, then, that he is now involved in legal proceedings that are centered on fair competition in another sport.

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On Monday, Jordan entered a North Carolina courtroom as an antitrust trial against NASCAR got underway. MJ, whose net worth is $3.8 billion according to Forbes, is the co-owner of the 23XI Racing team that joined forces with Front Row Motorsports to sue NASCAR last year. In the lawsuit filed by the two teams, NASCAR is accused of compelling teams to sign "anticompetitive terms" that make it difficult for them to become profitable.

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Joining MJ in this legal fight is Denny Hamlin, a three-time Daytona 500 winner and co-owner of 23XI Racing. A viral clip posted on Monday morning shows Jordan and Hamlin walking towards the courtroom, with Jordan expressing his disbelief that he was participating in the trial in the first place.

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In the lawsuit, 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports are claiming that NASCAR violated the Sherman Antitrust Act when the auto racing company offered teams a new charter agreement that would determine their revenue sharing. The lawsuit is said to have characterized the new charter agreement as "take it or leave it" while also calling NASCAR a "monopolistic bully."

If Front Row Motorsports and Jordan's 23XI Racing lose this trial, these two teams could find themselves ousted from NASCAR's top-tier Cup Series. However, should NASCAR find themselves on the wrong end of this legal fight, the company's financial framework could be significantly altered.

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Two jurors dismissed from NASCAR trial after they admitted their Michael Jordan fandom

With so much at stake in this trial, there is tremendous pressure on the North Carolina court to execute details with precision.

As the trial began on Monday, two jurors were dismissed on the grounds that their impartiality was questionable. According to Jenna Fryer of AP News, one juror admitted to having Michael Jordan posters on his wall when he was younger, while another juror stated, "I like Mike."

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Clearly, the magnitude of Jordan's star power is a major factor in this federal trial.

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Edited by Simoun Victor Redoblado
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