A crossover between NASCAR and the NBA is certainly making shockwaves in the sporting world. With Michael Jordan entering the stock car racing scene as a team owner at 23XI Racing, these ties have reached new heights. But, well before Jordan entered NASCAR, Brad Daugherty had already set the precedent of bringing the two sports together. It was 2008 when the former Cleveland Cavaliers player embarked on his NASCAR journey. And while Denny Hamlin is credited with luring Michael Jordan into the world of NASCAR, Daugherty has now made a similar claim.

Not only that, the North Carolina native also spoke about his early days being involved with stock car racing, which eventually led to his ownership stint at JTG Daugherty Racing.

Brad Daugherty played a key role in getting MJ interested in NASCAR

We all know that Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin share a special bond. Before MJ joined him at 23XI, he often appeared at tracks like Daytona International Speedway or Charlotte. The two even enjoyed golf sessions, which ultimately sowed the seeds of 23XI Racing. Although most of the fans in the NASCAR community know about this story, Daugherty also played a key role in getting MJ interested in the sport.

Although the Black Mountain native is known for his antics on the basketball court, Daugherty was no stranger to racing. It started out with building cars for local races, and the next thing you know, he branched out to become a team owner in NASCAR. “Yeah, my family has been around racing my whole life. My uncles, my father, everybody—they were drag racers. So I grew up around race cars… So the NASCAR space I’ve been around for about 30 years, and own a team for about 20-25 years. So it’s a lot of fun; I love hot rods, and I drag Michael into this space now, so he’s racing with us.” He said this while speaking to SeeHendo on YouTube.

While Daugherty made big money in basketball, his family was deeply rooted in racing. Not just family, but the people surrounding him had racing embedded in their lives. Robert Pressley, one of Daugherty’s closest friends, is a racer. Pressley’s father, Bob, was a short-track racer, and it left a lasting impression on young Daugherty. It seems Daugherty passed on the NASCAR bag to another basketball friend, Michael Jordan.

The two developed a bond when they played together for the University of North Carolina. Daugherty used to don the #43 number because of his fandom for his idol Richard Petty. But, back then, he was taunted for his affection towards NASCAR. Jordan would also be among the ones who gave Brad Daugherty a hard time for putting on NASCAR races in the locker room. “Michael gave me a hard time, too, about being a hillbilly. But you know what? He would also sit there and watch with me. He liked it. He always did.”

Both Hamlin and Daugherty lobbied Jordan to invest in NASCAR, which finally came to fruition with the birth of 23XI Racing. Since then, Jordan has achieved great success in clinching eight race wins, and in 2024 they managed to enter their first-ever championship race with Tyler Reddick and the #45 team. Meanwhile, Daugherty’s team, Brad Daugherty Racing, underwent a major overhaul with a new ownership takeover.

JTG Daugherty Racing will be under new ownership in 2025

There were rumors about a potential split in the JTG Daugherty Racing team throughout the 2024 NASCAR season. Tad and Jodi Geschickter, the founders of the team, were linked with a move to Joe Gibbs Racing along with primary sponsor Kroger. Well, for some reason that deal didn’t go through, and Brad Keselowski with RFK Racing managed to strike a deal with them.

With Kroger and principal owners leaving the team, Gordon Smith took charge and rebranded the team as Hyak Motorsports. Brad Daugherty, Mark Hughes, and Ernie Cope will partner with Smith in their plans to bring new energy and commitment. With Ricky Stenhouse Jr. already announcing his renewal with the team for 2025, they had secured the important piece of running their #47 full-time entry.

“I’m really excited about 2025 as our company continues to evolve. Our goal is to compete and win races at the highest level of NASCAR. The name change signifies that commitment and desire to be our very best.” Daugherty said this after the new changes within the team. Since 2020, Stenhouse Jr. has led the charge for the team and has added a Daytona 500 in 2023, and he repeated the same during the fall race at Talladega in 2024. Despite being a single-car team, Hyak Motorsports certainly is capable of competing for wins, especially on superspeedways.