Michael Jordan Corrects Debate as Joey Logano Fires Back
joey logano said Stephen A. Smith got exactly what he wanted after Michael Jordan pushed back on the debate over whether NASCAR drivers are athletes. The three-time Cup Series champion said Smith’s comments were built to keep him relevant, and the exchange pulled 23XI Racing deeper into a public sports argument.
Jordan Pushes Back On Smith
Smith said on Friday’s show that Jordan sent him a message about the NASCAR issue, and that the two argued over it. Smith said, “You know who wanted to correct me about the NASCAR thing? Michael Jordan,” before adding, “I argued with him! Because that’s how I feel! I’m being honest. That’s how I feel. That’s all, it’s not a crime. That’s what makes radio and sports talk.”
Jordan’s pushback lands because he is not a distant observer. He is the co-owner of NASCAR’s 23XI Racing, and he reacted with real force after Tyler Reddick won the Daytona 500 in February. Jordan said, “I can't even believe it. It was so gratifying,” and later added, “You never know how these races are going to end. You just try to survive. We hung in there all day. Great strategy by the team, and we gave ourselves a chance at the end. Look, I'm ecstatic.”
Logano And Harvick Respond
Logano answered the argument by saying, “People like that have to make comments to stay relevant,” then went further: “I mean, that’s part of their game, right? They gotta make big moments so people watch. He got exactly what he wanted — he got you talking about it, the whole industry talking about it. Now he’s relevant.”
Harvick was even sharper. “Here’s the deal with Stephen A. Smith: this guy has no clue about racing,” he said, before adding, “And I don’t mind people criticizing our sport or our drivers or our people, but if you don’t know anything about racing, just keep your opinion to yourself because you shouldn’t even have an opinion if you don’t know anything about a sport.”
Smith Draws A Hard Line
Smith’s original point was blunt. “Getting behind the wheel of a car is not the same. You can be behind the wheel of a car in your 60s and 70s, for crying out loud. A golfer is not an athlete. A NASCAR driver is not an athlete,” he said. He also said, “Just because you gotta walk the course for 18 holes for four days, that don’t make you an athlete. They’re skilled players; they’re elite at what they do. But athletes? Athletes? Are you kidding me? If you’re out there doing stuff that grandmas and grandpas can do, I’m not gonna look at you that way.”
The debate now sits inside NASCAR’s own spotlight. Reddick leads the Cup Series standings with 484 points, Bubba Wallace also races for 23XI Racing, and Jordan’s role ensures the argument is not just about talk-radio heat anymore. Smith said Jordan wanted to correct him; Logano said Smith got the attention he wanted. Both can be true, and that is why the discussion keeps moving.
