When Michael Jordan gave a moment of solace to Denny Hamlin after losing the NASCAR championship to Kevin Harvick 

Denny Hamlin has come close numerous times to capturing that elusive first NASCAR Cup Series championship, including back in 2014. The driver of the #11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota fell short to Kevin Harvick in the championship race, leading to another heartbreaking end to the season for the Virginia native.

Despite the loss, Hamlin had the support of retired NBA legend Michael Jordan, who was in attendance for the 2014 event at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. After the race and his championship loss, the six-time NBA Finals winner was seen giving Hamlin a hug and offering comfort. The video was posted by racing insider Jeff Gluck, who wrote:

"Michael Jordan comforts buddy Denny Hamlin. #NASCAR"

Denny Hamlin was quoted in an article by For The Win in November 2014 saying that Michael Jordan was a great friend of his and wanted to show support after the tough championship loss.

“I’ve been a basketball fan for a really long time. He’s just a good friend that came to support a friend," Hamlin said.

The now-44-year-old went on to say that the basketball icon is a massive NASCAR fan and was hoping to expand the sport's audience by bringing new fans.

“He’s a huge race fan. When he came in the motor home earlier today, he talked about converting all these people to race fans. That’s awesome that he thinks so much to come down and support his friend.”

The two friends later paired up to form 23XI Racing, a full-time Cup Series team, in 2021. The organization found success in its first year with Bubba Wallace, who wheeled his #23 machine to victory in 2021. The team expanded to two cars in 2022 with the #45 car, which is now driven by Tyler Reddick. Ahead of the 2025 season, the organization expanded to three cars with Riley Herbst set to pilot the #35 car.

This past season, Reddick won three races and made it all the way to the Championship 4 race, finishing fourth among the title contenders. In four seasons, 23XI Racing has won eight races with three different drivers, including Wallace, Reddick, and the retired Kurt Busch.

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Michael Jordan's team 23XI Racing set for "best season yet" in 2025

23XI Racing, co-owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan, is set to get back to the racetrack in 2025. On New Year's Day, the team made its intentions known that about wanting 2025 to be its best season yet.

The organization made its goals known for 2025 in an Instagram post, writing:

"New year. Same drive. 🎆💪 Ready to make 2025 the best season yet!"

Bubba Wallace is set for his fifth season at 23XI Racing, while it'll be the third season for Tyler Reddick in 2025. Riley Herbst, meanwhile, moves up from the Xfinity Series in 2025 for his rookie campaign.