NASCAR revels in an M.J. moment. His Airness gives a big boost to his posthoops passion

TALLADEGA, Ala. (AP) — Suddenly, Michael Jordan's new life seems just as satisfying as his old one. This felt a whole lot like M.J. knocking down a buzzer beater, winning the big game, celebrating like a champion.

Of course, his title-hoarding days in the NBA are long behind him.

But Jordan's current passion is filling that competitive void.

For the first time since he became a NASCAR Cup team owner, Jordan was at the track to savor in person a victory by one of his drivers.

And what a win it was.

When Michael McDowell crashed with the finish line in sight at Talladega Superspeedway, losing control in a desperate effort to block another driver from passing him, Tyler Reddick sped right on by to steal the checkered flag Sunday.

Not unlike all those times Jordan sank an improbable shot to win the game for the Chicago Bulls.

“To me, this is like an NBA playoff game," said Jordan, who co-owns the 23XI team with Denny Hamlin. “And for us to win a big race like this, it means so much to me. I’m all in. I love it.”

The winning driver didn’t even realize Jordan was at the track — he's always rather low-key and apparently didn’t want to put any extra pressure on his drivers, Reddick and Bubba Wallace — but it sure made the occasion even more special.

When Reddick got to victory lane, he was greeted by his boss, who had scooped up Reddick’s 4-year-old son, Beau, on pit road.

“In the moment it means a lot, but as he gets older and everything, too, looking back on that, that’s going to be really, really cool moment,” said Reddick, who is in his second season with 23XI.

Beau knows who his daddy's boss is, but more for the sneakers he made so famous. Reddick plans to rectify that in the years ahead.

“I’ve got to probably play some highlights, some (NBA) Finals matchups, and educate Beau a little bit better,” Reddick said. “Play some old-school games for him so he can get a real good feel of how dominant (Jordan) was in his prime.”

It was undoubtedly a big moment for NASCAR, which has endured some dips in popularity but seems on the upswing again.

Judging by the reaction on social media at seeing His Airness celebrating wildly in the pits, like he once did on the court, Reddick's victory is sure to move the needle even more. For good measure, the No. 45 Toyota was adorned with the Basketball Hall of Famer's iconic “Jumpman” logo.

“Yeah, 23XI is very important to this sport, absolutely,” Hamlin said. “It’s good for everything you can imagine. You’re talking sponsorship, your manufacturers, your team morale. It’s just so good, and it is in so many different ways.”

Always one to deliver a well-timed verbal jab, Jordan couldn’t resist taking a poke at his co-owner, who drives for Joe Gibbs Racing and was knocked out by a crash with 33 laps remaining that also took out Wallace.

“Actually, he did a good job of wrecking, so we could get up front," Jordan said of Hamlin. "That was actually pretty good.”

McDowell started from the pole, dominated the later laps and was in position to give Ford its much-needed first victory of the year. But his desperate efforts to block Brad Keselowski, another Ford driver, wound up costing them both.

McDowell swerved to thwart Keselowski on the high side of the track, only to lose control when he attempted an even bolder block to cut off his challenger darting to the inside. McDowell went into a spin, Keselowski had to check up and Reddick sped by to claim his sixth career Cup victory by 0.208 seconds while a bunch of other cars crashed behind them.

Corey LaJoie slid across the finish line with his No. 7 machine on its side, pinned by another car against the wall in front of the grandstands.

Having Jordan witness the improbable finish with his own eyes only added to Reddick's jubilation.

“He’s come to a few races, and unfortunately, even as good as the days have looked, they’ve not ended in victory lane,” Reddick said. “So for us to win a race like that, be up front as much as we were at the end and it looked like it was slipping away, and then we get it back, man, it’s an unreal feeling.”

For Jordan, the wild finish sparked memories of his former life, the one where he won six NBA championships and was always at his best with the game on the line.

Yet make no mistake: The 61-year-old Jordan is fully committed these days to stock car racing.

“It replaces a lot of the competitiveness that I had in basketball," he said, before quickly adding a caveat. "But this is even worse, because I have no control. If I was playing basketball, I’d have total control. But I have no control, so I live vicariously through the drivers, crew chiefs and everybody.”

On a wild Sunday in east Alabama, that was more than enough for M.J.

This story has been corrected to show that Reddick is in his second, not first, season driving for 23XI.

AP NASCAR: https://apnews.com/hub/nascar-racing

NASCAR Cup Series driver's Ryan Preece (41) Josh Berry (4) and Corey LaJoie (7) crash on the final lap during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Talladega Superspeedway, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Talladega. Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

NASCAR Cup Series driver Joey Logano (22) moves during a collision on the final lap of a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Talladega Superspeedway, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Talladega. Ala. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

NASCAR Cup Series driver's Ryan Preece (41) Josh Berry (4) and Corey LaJoie (7), upside down, crash on the final lap during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Talladega Superspeedway, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Talladega. Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

Tyler Reddick celebrates his win at a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Talladega Superspeedway, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Talladega. Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

Tyler Reddick celebrates his win at a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Talladega Superspeedway, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Talladega. Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

23XI Racing co-owner Michael Jordan watches the race during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Talladega Superspeedway, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Talladega. Ala. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Tyler Reddick celebrates his win and climbs a fence at a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Talladega Superspeedway, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Talladega. Ala. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Tyler Reddick celebrates his win after a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Talladega Superspeedway, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Talladega. Ala. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

23XI Racing co-owner Michael Jordan stands in the pit area during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Talladega Superspeedway, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Talladega. Ala. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

NASCAR revels in an MJ moment. His Airness gives a big boost to his post-hoops passion

23XI Racing co-owner Michael Jordan celebrates a win by his driver Tyler Reddick after a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Talladega Superspeedway, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Talladega. Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

NASCAR revels in an MJ moment. His Airness gives a big boost to his post-hoops passion

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Lauren Coughlin held onto the lead Friday in the CPKC Women’s Open, while Canadian star Brooke Henderson was derailed by closing bogeys at windy and smokey Earl Grey Golf Club.

Coughlin followed her opening 4-under 68 on Thursday in chilly and windy conditions with a 70 on Friday to get to 6 under, a stroke ahead of Hannah Green and Haeran Ryu. The temperature made it into the 70s after barely climbing into the 60s on Thursday.

“I think I handled it really well overall,” Coughlin said. “It was just really difficult to judge how far the ball was going to go with the wind and the crosswind and how firm the greens got. And they had some tough pins, especially considering the direction of the wind.”

Playing through a smokey haze from wildfires, Henderson bogeyed the final four holes in her afternoon round for a 73 that left her seven strokes back at 1 over. She won the 2018 tournament.

Coughlin is coming off a fourth-place finish two weeks ago in France in the major Evian Champions. The 31-year-old former University of Virginia player is winless on the LPGA Tour.

On Friday, she had three front-none birdies and dropped a stroke on the par-4 11th. In two rounds, she's 7 under on the first nine holes and 1 over on the second nine.

“I putted extremely well,” Coughlin said. “Two-putted really well all day. Took advantage of the front nine, which you have to, and then kind of hold on on the back nine.”

Green matched Coughlin with a 70. The Australian is a two-time winner this year, taking the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore in February and the JM Eagle LA Championship in April.

“It was tough again out there,” Green said. “There was some pretty strong wind gusts, especially our last few holes, so committing to the shot you were envisioning was kind of difficult.”

Ryu bogeyed the 18th for 69.

“The weather is really bad,” Ryu said. “Is a little bit cold and so windy.”

The 23-year-old South Korean player won the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship last year for her first LPGA Tour title. She was second last week in Ohio in the Dana Open.

Three-time champion Lydia Ko had a 71 to join second-ranked Lilia Vu (70) and Jennifer Kupcho (72) at 3 under. Ko won as an amateur in 2012 at age 15, successfully defended her title as an amateur in 2013 and won as a professional in 2015.

“It’s not easy — and I think the scores are showing,” Ko said. “Anything kind of under par the past couple days is a really solid round. I’m pretty happy with the way I started this week.”

Kupcho topped the leaderboard at 8 under after birdieing five of the first eight holes in her morning round, then was 5 over the rest of the way. She had a double bogey on the par-4 16th, four bogeys and a birdie on her final nine holes.

“I’m pretty upset,” Kupcho said. “I think in hindsight I still hit 15 greens. Like I was hitting the ball really good. Three-putted 10 and 11 and four-putted 16. I didn’t play bad. Just had a couple shaky putts down the stretch — and that’s going to happen.”

Lexi Thompson was in the group with Henderson tied for 26th at 1 over after a 73 The American plans to play a limited schedule after this season.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Lexi Thompson, of the United States, chips on the first hole during the second round at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh /The Canadian Press via AP)

Jennifer Kupcho, of the United States, watches her tee shot on the fifteenth hole during the second round at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh /The Canadian Press via AP)

Jennifer Kupcho, of the United States, lines up a putt on the fourteenth green during the second round at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh /The Canadian Press via AP)

New Zealand's Lydia Ko hits a tee shot on the first hole during the second round at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh /The Canadian Press via AP)

Korea's Haeran Ryu hits a tee shot on the fourth hole during the second round at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Canada's Brooke Henderson hits a tee shot on the second hole during the second round at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Lauren Coughlin, of the United States, hits from the fairway on the sixth hole during the second round at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Lauren Coughlin, of the United States, hits a tee shot on the seventh hole during the second round at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)