MICHAEL JORDAN VS. NASCAR: ANTITRUST TRIAL THREATENS TO 'RIP APART' SERIES
Michael Jordan's 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports launch an antitrust trial against NASCAR over its charter system, exposing financial data and scandalous executive communications.
Michael Jordan's legal battle with NASCAR is going to federal court on Monday. The jury trial could shake up the top motorsports series in the U.S.
The NBA legend, 62, was seen arriving at the Western District of North Carolina for a trial that could change NASCAR forever. The antitrust claims, brought by Jordan's 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, have revealed some juicy personal messages, NASCAR's financial details, and a lot of bad blood between some of the sport's top people and those who participate in it.
Denny Hamlin, who co-owns 23XI with Jordan and almost won the Cup Series championship recently, said that things will get real during the two-week trial.
Our fans have been fed NASCAR's talking points for years, Hamlin posted on social media. The lies end Monday morning. It's time for the truth. It's time for a change.
NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps said that the series tried its best to settle the case before the trial.
The lawsuit was filed by 23XI Racing, owned by Jordan, Hamlin, and Jordan's longtime business manager, Curtis Polk. They were joined by Front Row Motorsports, owned by Bob Jenkins, which won the 2021 Daytona 500. These two teams were the only ones out of 15 that didn't agree to renew their charter agreements with NASCAR in late 2024.
All 15 teams had been pushing for better terms in the charter agreements for over two years. The final terms didn't quite meet their expectations. 23XI and Front Row accused NASCAR of being a monopoly and sued based on antitrust laws.
The charter system, started in 2016, is like the franchise model used by most other pro sports leagues. A charter guarantees a car a spot in the 40-car field for every race, plus a set payout from the weekly prize money.
Even with the charters, the teams argue that the money setup isn't working. They wanted the charters to be permanent (right now, they can be renewed or taken away), a bigger cut of the revenue, and a say in how things are run.
23XI and Front Row didn't think the new charter agreements did enough to meet those needs, so they didn't sign. They say NASCAR has too much control over the racing series and allege a monopoly based on exclusive deals, owning most of the race tracks, and controlling the rules.
23XI and Front Row also want a lot of money from NASCAR to cover their legal fees and the money they've lost this year from not having charters.
NASCAR, founded 76 years ago by the France family, says it hasn't broken antitrust law because it hasn't done anything to limit trade beyond normal business practices.
NASCAR says that payouts in the 2025 charter agreement went up, which shows it's not anticompetitive. They also point out that cars can enter races as open teams and try to qualify for one of the four spots for non-chartered teams. 23XI and Front Row have been open teams, and while their six cars made every race, it cost them millions in prize money.
The legal process before the trial showed that NASCAR made over $100 million in 2024.
The legal discovery phase has been tough, with some embarrassing personal messages from NASCAR leaders and the two teams coming to light.
Phelps and other NASCAR leaders called Hall of Fame team owner Richard Childress a dinosaur, an idiot, and a stupid redneck. They also said Childress owes his entire fortune to NASCAR and needs to be taken out back and flogged.
Another NASCAR person said that fans of the sport aren't smart, and some series leaders criticised Hall of Fame driver Tony Stewart's summer racing series, SRX, and threatened to shut it down because NASCAR drivers were involved.
On the other side, the president of 23XI said that NASCAR chairman Jim France would have to die for them to get good charter terms. Hamlin admitted he doesn't like the France family, one of Jordan's advisors said Hamlin wasn't a good businessman, and Jordan joked that he loses more money in a casino than he pays one of his drivers.
NASCAR wants Rick Hendrick and Roger Penske, two of the most powerful team owners, to testify, but neither wants to. They've asked not to even be questioned, but if they have to be, they want the questions limited to charters.
Hendrick and Penske are among a lot of owners who have supported NASCAR in defence of the charter system. This shows that the teams that aren't suing don't want the charter system to be ended, which could happen if NASCAR loses the case.
But many of the team owners still said that the 2025 charter agreements don't give them everything they want.
Also, NASCAR has asked that Polk and Hamlin not be allowed to sit in court before they testify. A decision on that hadn't been made as of Sunday night.
Jordan, who is from North Carolina, got permission to be in the courtroom for the whole trial. A spokesperson for the two teams said that Jordan and Jenkins plan to be very involved in their case.
The case could still be settled at any time, even after a ruling is made and it goes to appeal.
If 23XI and Front Row win, the jury will decide how much money they get, and the judge can change that number and even triple it. The judge would also be in charge of fixing any monopoly that's found.
NASCAR could be ordered to have the France family sell the sport or the tracks it owns, end the charter system, or make the charters permanent. Anything is possible.
If NASCAR wins, 23XI and Front Row might not stay in business after 2026, and the six charters being held aside would likely be sold to others. The last charter sold for $45 million, and NASCAR says there's a lot of interest from potential buyers, including investment firms.
LAKERS ON THE BRINK: LEBRON JAMES ADMITS DISAPPOINTMENT AFTER 3-0 SERIES DEFICIT
"We still have life." LeBron James remains defiant despite a brutal 131-108 loss to OKC at the Crypto.com Arena on Saturday.
The Los Angeles Lakers find themselves just one loss away from elimination after a tough 131-108 defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday night. Although the Lakers held a halftime lead for the second consecutive game, they again fell apart in the second half, allowing Oklahoma City to cruise to a 3-0 series lead.
LeBron James spoke after the game, highlighting the Thunder’s depth and relentless energy while emphasising that the Lakers still believe they have a chance to push the series further. The Thunder outscored Los Angeles 74-49 after halftime and once more dominated the third quarter, continuing a pattern that has largely defined this series.
“They’re solid from top to bottom,” James said after the game. “And they never take their foot off the gas.”
Oklahoma City converted at a 56 per cent clip and spread the scoring load, even though reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was only 7-of-20 from the field with 23 points. The Thunder’s supporting players reinforced the effort alongside Chet Holmgren, Ajay Mitchell, Jared McCain, and Alex Caruso.
LeBron pointed directly to the third quarter as the turning point for Game 3.
“Obviously, the third quarter is where it starts,” he noted. “We lacked the energy and effort, and they dropped over 30 points on us.”
Despite strong first-half performances from Rui Hachimura and Luke Kennard, giving Los Angeles a one-point lead at halftime, Oklahoma City seized control right after the break, forcing turnovers and capitalising on easy transition baskets.
“In that third quarter, we couldn’t hit shots,” James admitted. “We defended but didn’t get stops, which let them take control.”
The Lakers were outscored 33-20 in that quarter alone. James managed just one field goal, while Austin Reaves went scoreless in the period.
James finished the night with 19 points, eight assists, and six rebounds, but his shooting was off at 7-for-19, and he posted a minus-24 plus-minus rating.
Los Angeles also turned the ball over 17 times, which led to 30 points for the Thunder. Oklahoma City outscored the Lakers 64-44 in the paint as well.
When pressed about the frustration of falling behind 3-0, James kept his response measured.
“I can’t say I’m not disappointed or angry,” he said. “You’re obviously disappointed being down 3-0, but we still have life. That’s all you can ask for. We have to be much better on Monday.”
Lakers coach JJ Redick backed up James’ take, describing Oklahoma City as an elite team in the NBA.
“They’ve beaten us three straight games,” Redick said. “They’re a really impressive basketball team.”
Redick previously drew comparisons between the Thunder and dominant teams like the 1990s Chicago Bulls and the 2017-18 Golden State Warriors. James acknowledged Oklahoma City’s versatility and depth, which have caused significant matchup problems.
“They have the right personnel to adapt to whatever you throw out there,” James said. “And they stay productive no matter who’s on the floor.”
Even with Gilgeous-Alexander’s uneven scoring, the Thunder have continued to win comfortably. Holmgren’s inside presence has been dominant, and Mitchell once again put up a strong stat line with 24 points and 10 assists.
James wasn’t surprised by the Thunder’s sustained pressure, given their roster makeup.
“You’ve seen them develop over the years,” he said. “They have a lot of players who can do multiple things, and that depth really helps.”
The Lakers are still without Luka Doncic, sidelined with a Grade 2 hamstring strain from April, which has hampered their offensive rhythm, especially late in games.
Facing elimination now, James insisted the team’s focus remains squarely on Game 4 rather than any bigger questions about the group’s future.
"No", James said when asked if they considered this might be their last run together. “We’re just concentrating on the moment and moving forward from there.”
Game 4 is set for Monday night in Los Angeles, where the Lakers will fight to avoid a sweep and keep the series alive before heading back to Oklahoma City.
MAX HOLLOWAY BREAKS SILENCE ON PARAMOUNT REGARDING CONOR MCGREGOR UFC 329 RUMORS
Relive the 13-year history between Holloway and McGregor as the Hawaiian star targets International Fight Week for ultimate revenge.
Max Holloway is hungry for payback against Conor McGregor as rumours swirl about a rematch.
McGregor hasn’t stepped inside the octagon since that quick loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in 2021. His last win was way back in 2020 when he steamrolled Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in under a minute. He was supposed to fight Michael Chandler in 2024, but that fell through after he got injured.
Now, at 37, McGregor’s back in training and eyeing a return for UFC 329 on July 11, right as International Fight Week rolls around. Before that, he missed out on a shot at the White House card, so this July date is shaping up to be his next window.
Dana White has flip-flopped a bit on McGregor’s comeback, but now he sounds confident: “It’s looking good. Believe me, you know once we get a deal done with him, we will announce it.” And right now, Holloway looks like the top pick for the fight, 13 years after they first went at it.
Back then, McGregor beat Holloway by decision. Since then, Holloway’s had his own ups and downs; he lost the BMF belt to Charles Oliveira in March and hasn’t fought since. Still, he’s eager to get back, especially if it means a shot at Conor.
Talking to Paramount, Holloway laid it out: “We have history. We fought a long time ago. If someone’s got a win over me, I want that back. If he really is serious about returning, and it looks like he is, then this is an exciting fight. He looks hungry. He even did a boxing exhibition not too long ago, so it looks like he’s really coming back. I just want another shot. Any fight with Conor is huge, but with our past? It means even more. If I can knock a few names off my list, that’s great.”
For now, Holloway hasn’t heard anything official from the UFC about July. "Maybe we'll see what happens,” he said. “I’m seeing all the same talk you are. I haven’t heard anything yet, but July would work for me. They say you’re only as good as your last fight, and I want people to forget about that one as soon as possible.”
