NBA legend Michael Jordan becomes the owner of the Nascar team after acquiring a majority stake in it.
Basketball Legend Michael Jordan proclaimed on Monday that he has acquired a NASCAR Cup series charter team and selected American professional black driver Bubba Wallace to race for his team next season.
Michael Jordan, considered to be the most renowned player in the history of the NBA. Having a net worth of $1.6 billion according to Forbes, Michael Jordan will becomes the owner of the NASCAR team after acquiring a majority stake in it while Denny Hamlin to be considered as a minority partner.
Jordan stated “Growing up in North Carolina, my parents would take my brothers, sisters and me to races, and I’ve been a NASCAR fan my whole life,”
“The possibility to have my own racing team in conjunction with my friend Denny Hamlin, and to have Bubba Wallace driving for us is very exciting for me.”
Jordan also the owner of the Charlotte Hornets NBA team, which he owned after his retirement from the NBA. He said he believed that his ownership with a Nascar team could make a possible change and bring new viewers to a sport that is mostly dominated by the white and will increase the engagement of minorities.
Jordan added “Historically, NASCAR has struggled with diversity and there have been few black owners,”
“This time is perfect to own a team as NASCAR is growing and adopting social change more and more. In addition to the recent commitment and donations I have made to combat systemic racism, I see this as a chance to educate a new audience and unlock more opportunities for black people in racing.”
Michael Jordan was very excited after getting an opportunity to appoint an African-American driver Bubba Wallace. Wallace’s contract with his current team Richard Petty Motorsports is coming to an end after this season. Earlier Wallace confirmed that he would not race again for Richard Petty Motorsports.
Wallace has always raised his voice against racism on multiple occasions and the recent one was against George Floyd’s killing in Minneapolis. Wallace called on NASCAR chiefs in June to forbid the Confederate flag from being used on racetracks. Wallace has always been vocal about his views against racism.
The flag has always been used at NASCAR tracks for a very long time but being a symbol of slavery and racism NASCAR later prevented displaying the flag in its races.
The flag has always been used at NASCAR tracks for a very long time but being a symbol of slavery and racism NASCAR later prevented displaying the flag in its races.
Wallace placed ‘Black Lives Matter’ as a social message on his car to raise his voice against racism. He was also a part of the controversy when his team reported that a noose had been observed hovering in the team garage at Talladega Superspeedway. After further investigation, the FBI denied and determined Wallace had not been the victim of a hate crime.
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