It wasn’t just Michael Jordan’s struggles as owner of the Charlotte Hornets that led him to turn away from basketball.
As the 63-year-old told CBS’ Gayle King, Jordan wanted to get away from the sport he’d come to define because he was tired of living up to the lofty expectations.
‘I wanted to get away from basketball in terms of what I represented in that arena… and how big I’ve gotten,’ he said. ‘And it was such a huge burden for me in that sport.’
Now a co-owner of NASCAR’s Cup Series leader Tyler Reddick’s team, Jordan said the rigors of stock car racing aren’t nearly as taxing as NBA ownership.
‘Here, the burden’s not quite the same,’ he said. ‘But it’s something that I think keeps me alive.
‘It’s a quieter life where I’m not really the show, even though as of late, you know, I’ve been in the forefront a lot more than I probably anticipated,’ Jordan said, giving a nod to his team’s success this season.
‘Here, the burden’s not quite the same,’ he added. ‘But it’s something that I think keeps me alive.’
Michael Jordan, NBA Hall of Famer and co-owner of 23XI Racing looks on during the NASCAR Cup Series Straight Talk Wireless 500 at Phoenix Raceway
In a rare interview, Jordan discussed NASCAR, basketball, and his famed competitive fire
Jordan’s 23XI team has won four of six races so far this season, including the Daytona 500
The burden of basketball, the billionaire admitted, was becoming too much.
‘The burden of living a certain way,’ he told King. ‘Living up to trying to maintain whatever everybody’s perspectives is for you or was for you. That is a burden, you know? And it’s a lot of people that have to endure it. And there’s a certain period of time that you can go through that, and then at some point in time you say, “I’m tired of [it]. I’m tired of doin’ that.”‘
King asked if he had anything left to prove.
‘Nothing,’ Jordan said. ‘Nothing at all.’
Jordan was the majority owner of Charlotte’s NBA franchise for the better part of 13 years, and although he retained a minority share of the middling team, he’s more like a silent partner these days.
Asked if there is a ‘teeny tiny part’ of him that misses basketball, Jordan admitted it’s actually something he thinks about often.
‘Oh, a hundred percent,’ he said. ‘It’s not just a teeny. It’s a huge piece.’
Jordan was the majority owner of Charlotte’s NBA franchise for the better part of 13 years
Jordan celebrates winning an NBA Championship alongside his father James in 1993
And as far as picking up a ball himself, Jordan admitted he ‘would definitely love to do that.’
Thankfully for Jordan, he’s scratching that competitive itch in NASCAR — something that has helped to reconnect him with the memory of his late father.
‘My father actually, he was a diehard mechanic,’ Jordan said. ‘He used to work on all the neighborhood cars. We would never send our car to the service. He would figure out a way to fix it. So I think it gravitated into his love for cars. And he likes driving fast. My mom likes driving fast.’ Jordan, himself, has never enjoyed driving fast.
‘No,’ he said. ‘I never drive fast.’
The six-time NBA champion’s interview with King is expected to air in full on CBS Sunday.
