Throughout his career, Michael Jordan has shown a unique willingness to celebrate the successes of others, even when they’re on the opposing side. From applauding Magic Johnson’s resilience during his battle with HIV to honoring Kobe Bryant’s legacy after his tragic passing, Jordan has time and again displayed grace and admiration for fellow athletes. Recently, he did it once again—this time in the high-octane world of NASCAR.

In a touching display of sportsmanship, Jordan congratulated retiring NASCAR driver Martin Truex Jr. This public show of respect for Truex Jr. caught fans and sports analysts by surprise. As per a recent YouTube video that captured Jordan’s interactions on the track, the 23XI team owner shook Truex Jr.’s hands and even hugged him.

Martin Truex Jr. shares an incredible portfolio in NASCAR. He came out of the Busch Series, winning two consecutive championships in 2004 and 2005. In this season, he had collected 2,257 points in 36 starts with the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team and ranked 10th. Moreover, over his career of 21 years, the 44-year-old has participated in 693 NASCAR races. The racer had already announced back in June that he would be stepping away from a full-time Cup Series competition, stating, “I’m not sure yet. Hunt and fish. Enjoy life. I’m sure I’ll watch some racing still, probably won’t be as closely interested in it as I am now. But I don’t know. We’ll see. Time will tell.”

Jordan’s gesture was particularly notable as 23XI Racing, the NASCAR team he co-owns faces a challenging season. Though Tyler Reddick had a promising season and secured a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, he ultimately couldn’t perform well in the finals, and the No. 45 finished sixth in the race and ranked fourth in the overall season ranking with 5,031 points.

Adding to 23XI Racing’s troubles, Michael Jordan is currently embroiled in a lawsuit involving NASCAR. The NBA legend and co-owner Denny Hamlin’s 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, owned by restaurant entrepreneur Bob Jenkins, filed an antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR in October, calling the league and its owners, the France family, “monopolistic bullies.” “By exploiting its monopoly power over the racing teams, NASCAR has been able to impose anti-competitive terms as a condition of a team’s access to competitions,” said Jordan’s team. Moreover, this is not only it.

Recently, this legal journey faced another setback as the 23XI racing team was denied a preliminary injunction in its lawsuit against NASCAR by the federal judge Frank Whitney. “Plaintiffs have not alleged that their business cannot survive without a preliminary injunction. Instead, they allege that their businesses may not survive without a preliminary injunction,” said the Judge. However, the judge also noted in his order that if the teams’ circumstances changed, they could file a renewed motion for a preliminary injunction.

Coming back to Jordan’s gesture that caught everyone’s eye. Let’s see what the fans have said about it.

Fans laud Jordan for his gesture

Michael Jordan has fans singing his praises around the world after he offered his congratulations to Martin Truex Jr. after the race. As stated earlier, the 21 years of association with racing has seen Truex Jr. receive several awards, such as the NASCAR All-Star Race Open winner honor in 2007 and 2010.

One fan was quick to emphasize Truex Jr.’s legendary career by commenting, “Made me tear up seeing Jeff Gordon and Michael Jordan hug and show their respect for Truex. He is a legend of the sport who had one hell of a career and I’m happy to have called him my favorite NASCAR driver. It’s never going to be the same without him on the grid every Sunday. I’m really gonna miss him 🥲,” while another one lauded Jordan’s gesture with, “Class act for Jordan to give him the nod there.”

Not only Jordan but former NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon, who had 93 wins in his career, was also present to congratulate Truex Jr. on his illustrious career. One follower was quick to point that out with, “at least Jordan and a Gordon knows a good person when they meet one.”

Moreover, one fan even knew that both Jordan and Gordon were associated with the Looney Tunes character ‘Bugs Bunny.’ Jordan was featured aside from Bugs Bunny in the 1996 movie Space Jam, whereas Gordon drove a DuPont Chevrolet Monte Carlo Bugs Bunny car in the 2002 Monte Carlo 400 race. “Gordon and Jordan both had Bugs Bunny with them (1996, 2003),” wrote the fan.

However, while most of the fans were busy commenting about the individual achievements of all the entities present, one fan took a different approach and lauded all with, “I thought this track was in the desert not on a farm?? Curious because I saw a couple GOATs.”

As 23XI Racing moves forward amid both their racing and legal battles, Jordan’s actions on this day reflect the sportsmanship that continues to inspire countless fans around the world.