NASCAR star Tyler Reddick has dismissed the controversy engulfing Michael Jordan over the NBA icon’s viral interaction with Reddick’s six-year-old son in the wake of their Daytona 500 victory.
Jordan, the co-owner of 23XI Racing, divided fans after a clip appeared of him celebrating alongside Reddick’s son, Beau, in Florida.
Reddick had emerged from a wild final lap to win NASCAR’s biggest race in a car owned by the basketball icon. Jordan was then caught on camera appearing to grab at the young child’s lower back and bottom area.
Some critics questioned his actions, but Jordan’s defenders claimed he was trying to remove ice that had fallen down Beau’s shirt during the wild celebrations.
After the clip flooded social media, the Daily Mail contacted Jordan’s representatives, NASCAR and 23XI Racing for comment.
On Tuesday, Reddick spoke out about the incident during an appearance on Stephen A. Smith’s Sirius XM radio show.
Michael Jordan has been criticized for the way he celebrated his team’s Daytona 500 victory
The NBA legend secured his first NASCAR victory with 23XI Racing at the Daytona 500
Daytona 500 winner Tyler Reddick is pictured alongside his wife Alexa and his son Beau
‘From my perspective, I’ve gotten to know Michael and his family very well over the years I’ve been here with 23XI, and I don’t see what other people see when it comes to this,’ Reddick said.
‘For me, it’s a huge moment; this is the biggest moment of my career. It’s a huge moment for my family and for his family.
‘And I just put that off to the side and think about the look on (Michael Jordan’s wife) Yvette’s face and the whole family and his whole group when they got to victory lane too, and just how happy everybody was celebrating together. So, that’s where I’m at with it.’
The incident overshadowed a glorious win for Reddick, Jordan and his 23XI Racing team.
The NBA Hall of Famer bear-hugged his driver in the victory lane before they jointly hoisted the Harley J Earl trophy.
Jordan, who turned 63 on Tuesday, will receive a Daytona 500 ring for his birthday and he made it known that he wears a size 13.
‘It feels like I won a championship, but until I get my ring, I won’t even know,’ Jordan said.
Reddick, in a Toyota, led only one lap Sunday: the one to the checkered flag. He was the 25th different driver to lead a lap – a new Daytona 500 record.
The NBA icon bear-hugged Reddick and they then jointly hoisted the Harley J Earl trophy
Winless last year, Reddick was primarily focused on his infant son, Rookie, after he was found to have a tumor in his chest that affected his heart.
Jordan was the face of the December federal antitrust lawsuit that NASCAR settled on the ninth day of trial. The settlement changed the revenue-sharing model in the United States’ top motorsports series.
Jordan watched the win from a suite overlooking the superspeedway built by the France family – NASCAR founders and private owners – that he just beat in federal court. NASCAR chairman Jim France, who was personally a defendant in the suit, went to victory lane to congratulate the winners.
‘I can’t even believe it. It was so gratifying,’ Jordan said of the victory. ‘You never know how these races are going to end. You just try to survive.
‘We hung in there all day. Great strategy by the team, and we gave ourselves a chance at the end. Look, I’m ecstatic.’
