30 years after their NBA playoff meeting, Michael Jordan and Brad Daugherty lock horns again, albeit in a different playoffs

Who would have imagined two aces of the NBA world would be crossing over to the world of NASCAR as Michael Jordan and Brad Daugherty go head to head in 2023 once again?

Despite not being on the basketball court this time around, Jordan and Daugherty are considered legends in the sporting world. Both former athletes are the only African-American team owners to qualify for the playoffs in the history of stock car racing.

Brad Daugherty's team, JTG Daugherty Racing qualified for the 2023 postseason after driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. managed to visit victory lane in the opening race of the 2023 season. Along with a win in arguably the most sought-after event of the complete season, the Daytona 500, Stenhouse Jr. punched his ticket into the 2023 playoffs.

Michael Jordan's 23XI Racing managed to advance into the playoffs with both entries driven by Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace. While Reddick managed to win his way into the playoffs, Wallace achieved the same feat on merit with enough points after the final regular season race at the tri-oval last weekend.

Despite Brad Daugherty's experience of over 15 years in the sport, Michael Jordan has managed to make waves in NASCAR after he teamed up with current driver Denny Hamlin to start his own team.

The two basketball aces last locked horns in the NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals, and will be doing the same this year, albeit in the world of motorsports.

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Watch: Michael Jordan congratulates 23XI co-owner Denny Hamlin on both cars making the 2023 playoffs

In what has been a topsy-turvy journey for Michael Jordan's and Denny Hamlin's relatively young NASCAR Cup Series team, the 2023 season will see both drivers from the camp to challenge in the playoffs.

Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace managed to provide a stage for the basketball legend to go up against an old NBA rival Brad Daugherty in the world of NASCAR. Jordan was understandably elated last Sunday in Daytona. He was seen congratulating team co-owner and current Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin in a video posted by Matt Weaver on Twitter.

See the tweet below:

With the first race of the round of 16 going live from Darlington Raceway this weekend, it remains to be seen whether Jordan or Daugherty come out on top in their NASCAR playoffs rivalry. The Cook Out Souther 500 goes live on the USA Network on Sunday, September 3, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. ET.