NASCAR 2026: Charles Barkley speaks on former friend Michael Jordan's team success

NBA legend Charles Barkley has said he is 'proud' of Michael Jordan's success as a NASCAR team owner.

Jordan's 23XI Racing team, co-owned with Denny Hamlin, has been arguably the story of the 2026 Cup Series season, with Tyler Reddick winning four of the year's first seven races.

Jordan has been present for all of those wins, as he continues to provide in-person support for the team he founded with Hamlin as a true passion project, as a lifelong NASCAR fan.

Reddick's early-season domination has catapulted him up to rarified air as the oddsmakers' third favorite for the championship, behind Hamlin and reigning champ Kyle Larson. While that's the team's ultimate goal, 2026 has already been the most successful in their history from a wins standpoint.

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Former friends turned frosty

Barkley and Jordan's previously close relationship deteriorated more than a decade ago, starting when the six-time Finals MVP took personal offence to The Round Mound of Rebound criticizing his ownership of the Charlotte Hornets on TV.

The Sixers and Suns great revealed a few years back that he and Jordan hadn't spoken for the best part of a decade after the comments, which the latter saw as a betrayal. He sold his stake in the Hornets in 2023.

Speaking on TNT Sports about his Dream Team team-mate, Barkley said: “Basketball is just a small part of your life. No matter how great you are, you’re gonna be done as a young person.

"You have to find something else to bring you joy and happiness and things like that. Hey, I love doing television. I’ve been blessed to do this for a long time, but basketball, I’ve been retired longer than I played.

“I’m happy about his success in NASCAR. I know he loves fishing, like he said, but I’m proud of his success in NASCAR. He’s always been great for me. He taught me how to make money and things like that. And so I’m proud of his success.”