Michael Jordan rivalry renewed as NBA icon in shock NASCAR project

Basketball legend Michael Jordan has seen a historic NBA rivalry reignited via motorsport series NASCAR.

Jordan is the co-owner of NASCAR Cup Series outfit 23XI Racing, alongside three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin and Jordan's agent Curtis Polk.

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Jordan's team is currently embroiled in an antitrust lawsuit with NASCAR, alongside Front Row Motorsports, with no end currently in site, suggesting the legal battle will rumble on throughout the 2025 season.

This year's Daytona 500 race is fast approaching, and star-studded commercials are beginning to drop, building the excitement amongst NASCAR fans.

Shaq designs Daytona 500 paint scheme

One of those Daytona 500 promotional ads has dropped on social media, with NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal featuring in one team's commercial, but not that of fellow NBA legend Jordan.

O'Neal has featured in a video alongside Legacy Motor Club's Jimmie Johnson, showcasing an O'Neal-inspired paint scheme on his Daytona 500 car.

Johnson and O'Neal traded hilarious social media quips earlier this month, with the LA Lakers legend pointing to Johnson's incredible longevity in the sport, as he prepares for his 22nd Daytona event.

The 49-year-old responded by questioning whether O'Neal could still play basketball, and an unlikely collaboration was formed, with Carvana hinting at an O'Neal-Johnson partnership for their Daytona car.

Jordan and O'Neal shared an iconic rivalry in their glory days as NBA stars, with Jordan's Chicago Bulls beating O'Neal's Orlando Magic 4-0 in the 1996 Eastern Conference finals, before going on to win the NBA finals.

That happened a year after Magic had beaten Bulls in the Eastern Conference semi-finals, sparking a legendary rivalry between two of the greatest NBA players of all-time.

Now, O'Neal has sided with a different Cup Series team, perhaps reigniting the rivalry between the pair in a different sport.

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