“He really wants to be Michael Jordan” - Fans react to LeBron James’ comment on his NASCAR collaboration

NBA icon LeBron James' connection with NASCAR Cup Series outfit RFK Racing recently came to light on social media for a lot of fans associated with the sport.

As drivers and teams gear up for the 2024 NASCAR season, RFK Racing, co-owned by Hall of Famer team owner Jack Roush and veteran driver Brad Keselowski, recently shared a post on its social media handles, revealing the dates for the team's design unveils for the upcoming season.

What also caught the fans' attention was a reply from Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James.

Quoting the tweet from RFK Racing, the 39-year-old wrote:

"Can’t wait to see what’s cooking!!! @RFKracing 👀🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥👑"

The reply from LeBron James had fans wondering about the collaboration between the Cup Series team and the NBA legend. Delving deeper into the connection, fans found out that James is a minority owner of Fenway Sports Group (FSG), which boasts holdings in Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Boston Red Sox, NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins, and Premier League’s Liverpool FC.

RFK Racing, originally founded by Jack Roush as Roush Racing, underwent a transformation in 2007 when Fenway Sports Group's owner, John Henry, acquired a 50% stake and renamed it Roush Fenway Racing. In 2021, Brad Keselowski joined the team as a co-owner and driver — the same year FSG added James as a partner.

James' collaboration with the NASCAR team is similar to that of legendary basketball player, Michael Jordan. The latter, who retired from the sport in 2003, is the co-owner of another Cup Series outfit, 23XI Racing.

However, the parallels between James' involvement with RFK Racing and Michael Jordan's co-ownership of 23XI Racing did not go unnoticed by fans. One user took to Instagram to comment:

"Dang he really wants to be Michael Jordan"

Fans react to Lebron James' RFK Racing collaboration.

"He probably doesn't care about NASCAR at all," commented another user

RFK Racing responds to the post

"The King is Richard Petty" commented a fan

Another user refers to Michael Jordan's 23XI Racing

"This is when you turn down a sponsor," commented a fan

Another fan takes a jab at LeBron James

"LeRacing," commented a user

---

What other NBA stars own NASCAR teams?

In exploring other NBA stars involved in NASCAR team ownership, it becomes evident that LeBron James is not alone. As previously mentioned, basketball legend Michael Jordan co-owns the team 23XI Racing.

The team, founded in 2020, currently fields two cars, with Bubba Wallace driving the No. 23 Toyota Camry, and Tyler Reddick piloting the No. 45. In the past, former Cup Series champion Kurt Busch has also driven the No. 45. Meanwhile, Travis Pastrana, former X Games champion, also made his Cup Series debut at the Daytona 500 last season, where he drove the 23XI Racing No. 67.

Beyond James and Jordan, former NBA player Brad Daugherty stands out as both a longtime NASCAR analyst and co-owner of JTG Daugherty Racing. Daugherty's journey in NASCAR began with co-owning Liberty Racing, a Truck Series team that included drivers such as Kevin Harvick and the late Kenny Irwin.

Now, his Cup Series team, JTG Daugherty, remains one of the few single-charter outfits in the Cup Series, fielding the #47 Chevrolet Camaro, currently piloted by Ricky Stenhouse Jr.