Millionaire Denny Hamlin showcases 'unbannable' Air Jordan 1s from his impressive sneaker collection

Following a third-place finish in the season-opening Busch Clash exhibition race at Bowman Gray Stadium, NASCAR Cup Series star Denny Hamlin took to social media to show off a special pair of shoes. The driver of the #11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was sporting a pair of "unbannable" Air Jordan 1s, a shoe brand made famous by retired NBA legend Michael Jordan.

The 54-time Cup Series winner took to Instagram to share a video of himself putting on the iconic shoes. The Chesterfield, Virginia native added a caption onto the video that read:

"Denny Hamlin's 'Unbannable' Air Jordan 1s"

The "unbannable" term comes stems from a basketball controversy back in 1984. Jordan, a six-time NBA champion, was at one point fined $5,000 for wearing a shoe with a design that wasn't 51 percent white, a rule implemented by the league. However, Nike designed Jordan's shoes to intentionally break the rule while also paying the star's fines. While the NBA tried to ban the shoe, Nike continued selling Air Jordan 1s, which led to big-time business.

In his Instagram caption, Hamlin made it known how prolific the shoe was, writing:

"The sneaker that changed everything"

Hamlin and Jordan are co-owners of 23XI Racing, a team that fields three full-time Cup Series entries. Bubba Wallace pilots the #23 Toyota, while Tyler Reddick wheels the #45 machine and newly-added Riley Herbst is at the seat of the #35 Toyota. Since the team's debut in 2021, they've won eight races and made one Championship 4 appearance with Reddick last season.

In Sunday night's Busch Clash, Reddick sported a paint scheme that pays homage to the 40-year anniversary of when the NBA tried to ban Jordan's shoe. The team revealed the look of the #45 in a recent Instagram post, writing:

"Just like this graphic, the 45 is back again. @tylerreddick takes on the Clash in the No. 45 Jordan Brand Toyota Camry XSE."

Hamlin led 28 laps in Sunday night's Busch clash en route to finishing third. Meanwhile, Wallace placed fifth and Reddick led one lap in the event and finished seventh.

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Denny Hamlin recently attended a Charlotte Hornets NBA game

While his 23XI Racing co-owner, Michael Jordan, was synonymous with his success in playing for the Chicago Bulls, Denny Hamlin was recently spotted courtside at a Charlotte Hornets game. The NBA franchise posted a photo of the driver via Instagram.

In the caption, the Hornets made a "Hive" reference, which is the nickname of the team's arena, the Spectrum Center. The team acknowledged Hamlin being in attendance by writing:

"@dennyhamlin in the Hive 🏎️"

The 2025 Cup Series season marks Hamlin's 20th full-time campaign behind the wheel of the #11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. While he has 54 career wins, including three Daytona 500s, Hamlin is yet to win a Cup Series championship.