Michael Jordan facing backlash over interaction with child at NASCAR race
Basketball legend Michael Jordan has come under fire after footage of an interaction between him and a young boy began circulating online.
The sporting icon attended the Daytona 500 on Sunday (15 February) to support Tyler Reddick as he secured his first win in the 'Great American Race'.
It's considered the most prestigious event of the year on the NASCAR calendar and has been dubbed 'the Super Bowl of stock car racing'.
Jordan - who co-owns the team 23XI Racing with Denny Hamlin - was seen celebrating with his driver Reddick after he roared to victory in front of 150,000 fans in Florida.
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The 30-year-old champ was mobbed by his pit crew before sharing an emotional embrace with the NBA legend, 62, and Hamlin.
Speaking of his win, Reddick said: "[It's] just incredible how it all played out. Just true Daytona madness. I've already lost my voice from screaming. I never thought I'd be Daytona 500 champion."
Jordan even jointly hoisted the coveted Harley J. Earl Trophy with the esteemed driver, who joined 23XI Racing back in 2022.
However, the team's victory has now been somewhat overshadowed by online chatter unfolding about footage which shows Jordan interacting with Reddick's eldest son.
In the clip, the father-of-five can be seen standing behind six-year-old Beau as the celebrations ensued, and he appears to grasp at the back of his t-shirt multiple times.
The footage, which has since gone viral, shows Jordan making repeated pinching motions, potentially trying to wring the t-shirt out as it looks wet.
Jordan then appears to graze his fingers over the back of his legs, prompting Beau to turn around.
There is no indication that Jordan committed any wrongdoing and the young boy does not appear to flinch.
But in the eyes of a lot of social media users, Jordan might have been a bit too tactile with the youngster.
After viewing the footage, one person said: "This is another level of weirdness."
Another commented: "Tugging/tickling a kid in a crowded celebration might look off without context. Hope it’s just over-the-top excitement, but optics matter."
A third added: "That’s inappropriate unless that’s his child or they have a good relationship."
Others suggested the short clip had been taken out of context, while some pointed out that Jordan is 'clearly like family' to the Reddicks.
One fan said: "He's obviously just playfully teasing the kid."
Another suggested: "His driver’s son got drenched during the celebration and he was only trying to help get it off him. Honestly, who would want their child drenched in beer?"
"He’s trying to get a rise out of that kid," a third chimed in. "Normal behaviour with kids. Sometimes you gotta bother them to get them to talk to you."
And a fourth added: "Oh stop it. That’s the winner’s oldest son. MJ is clearly like FAMILY. The safest place to take your children is to an American race track. Racers have 0 tolerance for this. Know the difference, pls."
Jordan and Reddick are known to share a close bond both on and off the track, while their connection is said to date back years.
The racer previously revealed how he believes there is a picture of Jordan holding his wife Alexa DeLeon, the daughter of the late former Major League Baseball pitcher Jose DeLeon, as a baby.
Speaking to The Athletic in 2024, Reddick explained the six-time NBA champion 'spent some time' with his father-in-law during his baseball days.
"I wish I knew all the details of it," the dad said. "I’ve seen a couple photos Alexa and her mom have.
"But they did get to spend some time together during her dad’s time at the [Chicago] White Sox when Michael was a part of the White Sox spring training.
"They got to know each other through that. I think there’s even a picture - I could be wrong - of MJ holding Alexa as a baby. I feel like that’s a story I heard years ago. But they had some interaction.
"I’ve never actually asked Michael about it. I’ve wanted to, but I just haven’t. Why we haven’t asked him about it? I don’t know.
"Probably because it’s a weird, obscure thing from a long, long time ago. But maybe one of these days, I’ll ask him about it."
LADbible has contacted Jordan and Reddick's representatives for comment.
Olivia Burke