Michael Jordan has almost become synonymous with NASCAR these days, especially after multiple appearances at the race tracks earlier this season, where his team, 23XI Racing, and driver, Tyler Reddick, won one race after another. Amid this, another NBA star has teased potentially joining the NASCAR bandwagon.

Kon Knueppel, the shooting guard for the Charlotte Hornets, a prominent team in the NBA's Southeast division, recently appeared on Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s "Dale Jr. Download" podcast. There, he arrived in a 23XI Racing shirt, which immediately grabbed Dale Jr.'s attention.

Questioning Knueppel on the same line, Dale Jr. asked him about his association with NASCAR, especially the 23XI Racing team. “I’m glad you came over here. I know that you got a lot going on, and I see the 23XI shirt. I appreciate the rep. Supporting NASCAR. Have you been over to their (23XI Racing) shop? Are you familiar with the sport at all? NASCAR?”

Knueppel, who now plays for the team that Michael Jordan once was a majority owner of, said: "Yeah, it's (NASCAR) something I got to probably have to get into a little bit."

In response, Dale Jr. also invited the Hornets Guard to attend NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 on May 24, which takes place at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. The 1.5-mile oval is just over 15 miles away from the Hornets' home stadium, Spectrum Center, which, coincidentally, is three blocks away from the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

In recent times, several NBA names have been associated with NASCAR. Besides Michael Jordan and Brad Daugherty (co-owner of JTG Daugherty Racing), LeBron James is a minority owner of RFK Racing, and Cooper Flagg was the most recent NBA player to make a NASCAR crossover.

NBA rookie Cooper Flagg's NASCAR connection

2025 NBA Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg was the honorary pace car driver for NASCAR's Wurth 400 at the Texas Motor Speedway on May 3. Besides this, the six-foot-nine-inch Dallas Mavericks Forward also received a ride from Connor Zilisch, one of the youngest NASCAR Cup Series drivers, marking a significant NBA-NASCAR cooperation in recent times.

"We got going pretty fast, and I think half the ride I was more scared of what was going on," Flagg said. "I've never been in a car going that fast, so it was pretty cool. I don't know much about racing, but I think just being able to connect on the fact that we're both young in our respective sports... that was really cool, and to be able to talk to someone that's going through a lot of similar things at a time in your life."

It was the first time Flagg, who enjoyed a remarkable NBA season in 2025, averaging 21 points, 4.5 assists, and 6.7 rebounds per game, had been at any NASCAR track. However, his family has been ardent NASCAR fans, and their favourite driver is the now-retired three-time Cup Series champion, Tony Stewart.

Read more at the RFK Racing Digest!

Written by

Sabyasachi Biswas

Edited by

Yask Kotak