What it’s like to be in the heat of a NASCAR race under the supervision of Michael Jordan

Many of those who played alongside Michael Jordan in the NBA have described him as someone who would test a teammate’s mental strength to come through in key moments. Some were unable to meet this high standard. But for those who earned Jordan’s trust, he didn’t hesitate to pass them the ball when the game was on the line, believing they would kill the shot.

Billy Scott jokes that although he is tall, you would never mistake him for a basketball player. Nonetheless, the crew chief for NASCAR championship finalist Tyler Reddick — who drives for 23XI Racing, the team Jordan is a co-owner of — has the full confidence of his boss to make a game-winning shot should they find themselves on the basketball court. He passed Jordan’s nerve-wracking test, which was delivered with the highest praise from someone whose career has been defined by being nimble.

“He said he was willing to pass the ball to me if time was running out and that he believed in me,” Scott said. “Hearing that gives you the confidence to continue to believe in what we’re doing.”

Much like the iron will that has been the hallmark of Jordan’s career on the hardwood, one trait that has defined the No. 45 team’s march to Sunday’s Championship 4 finale at Phoenix Raceway is grit. Reddick persevered despite a gastrointestinal infection and won the regular season points title; The team overcame crash damage in a playoff Round 2 elimination race in which Reddick had to drive through the field to finish high enough to advance. And a combination of Scott’s clever pit strategy, some luck and Reddick’s skill helped them to an incredible victory in a semi-final race that secured them a spot in the championship.

Every time the No. 45 team needed to go big in the playoffs, they succeeded.

Jordan was there at each of these races and watched all of these moments up close, either with Scott in the pit box of the No. 45 team or in the pit stall alongside the crew.

It could be unsettling when a person of Jordan’s stature, not to mention someone whose competitive drive is legendary, is watching your every move and being expected to execute them at a high level. Not so, says the No. 45 team.

“When he’s there, everyone has a new impetus, more self-confidence. Like, ‘Yeah, that’s our guy and he’s on our side,'” Scott said. “Because he’s really integrated into it, he understands it. He studies the sport. I think he knows what’s going on with the strategy, the tires and the aero packages. He understands this stuff as well as many of us sometimes do.

“He knows when is the right time to say something in certain situations.”

When Jordan teamed up with Denny Hamlin to form 23XI four years ago, it was only natural that he wondered how active he would be in leading the team. It’s common for celebrities to own part of a team but rarely actually get involved.

For Jordan, however, 23XI was not a vanity project. And since he sold his majority stake in the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets last summer, his involvement with 23XI has only increased.

The extra free time allows Jordan to participate in more races, where he involves Scott by asking questions about key strategy decisions.

“He has great insights and asks great questions, and it’s never out of place or unwarranted,” Scott said. “They’re all things that actually help us think about things.”

Michael Jordan roams the pit area during the September race at Darlington Raceway. “When he’s there, everyone gets a new lease of life,” says crew chief Billy Scott. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Jordan also regularly participates in 23XI’s weekly competitive meet. He often says little, prefers to listen and only speaks up when he feels he has something to contribute.

Perhaps the most important incident occurred last summer. At this point, both Reddick and fellow 23XI driver Bubba Wallace were in crisis, with neither of the last five races finishing in the top 10. The frustration was great. Excuses thrown around. Show fingers. Then the six-time NBA champion spoke.

“He listened to it over and over again, and at the end he gave his opinion on what he heard,” Hamlin said. “And he didn’t like what he heard and he made some pointed comments about what championship teams and winning teams sound like and how we need to change the way we communicate and shift blame everywhere.”

“This was a crucial moment for our team and our riders to recognize each individual’s shortcomings and take responsibility for them and figure out how to improve. That was a big moment for changing the mentality of our team.”

Dave Rogers, senior director of competition at 23XI, nods emphatically when asked about the meeting. He says this still resonates and is an important building block in building 23XI into a team capable of winning a cup title.

“He emphasizes doing what you need to do to make sure you perform at your best and make the game-winning shot,” Rogers said. “And if you can do it, great. And if not, move on. He’s all about supporting your teammates when they make the game-winning shot but can’t make it. He’s all about teamwork.”

Both Reddick and Wallace recovered and each qualified for the playoffs. Reddick finished the year with nine top-10 finishes and one win in the last 17 races, making it to the semifinals. This year the rise continued. Reddick won the regular season points title and secured 23XI’s first place finish in Championship 4, a remarkable achievement for a team in only its fourth year of existence. And despite missing the playoffs, Wallace set career highs in several statistical categories.

“It’s definitely really cool to be able to share the highlights,” Reddick said. “What it boils down to is that people like him, myself, Billy and other people who are part of 23XI have a passion for racing and a desire to perform at this level. So when all of that comes together and you have these great moments, it’s great to share it with like-minded people.”

Michael Jordan watches the race in Darlington in September. “How can you not be excited during a pit stop in front of MJ?” said Wade Moore, Tyler Reddick’s tire mover. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Wade Moore, the tire carrier on Reddick’s pit crew, played college baseball at North Carolina State and was drafted by the Washington Nationals, where he played a few years in their minor league system. That experience, he says, helped him adjust to a pressurized environment in which he and other members of the crew, many of whom also played high-level collegiate sports, must work under Jordan’s penetrating gaze while trying to a nine second shot to beat pit stop.

“How can you not be excited at a pit stop in front of MJ?” Moore said. “It’s great. He is very emotionally involved and that means a lot to us athletes. Seeing him and seeing the emotions on his face, the excitement, the disappointment, it’s all part of the human element of what we do. So he rides this roller coaster too.”

It’s a bond atypical of most owner-mine crew relationships. In many ways, Jordan is an integral member of the team.

“You can tell by the way he greets you, just the handshake,” Moore said. “Because there is a difference between the company handshake and the athlete handshake. He understands it. He will be the first to give us a fist bump or congratulate us when we make a good stop. But then of course you will miss shots. And when we do that, He picks us up and doesn’t condescend to anyone. He’s just very encouraging.”

On Sunday, Jordan will be at Phoenix Raceway watching the championship finale, likely sitting either up in the pits behind Scott or down with the pit crew, an unmistakable presence next to a No. 45 team accustomed to one of the world’s most famous athletes watching attentive to every movement.

“You have one of the biggest competitors that has a 100 percent accurate view of everything,” Scott said. “And he is by your side, in your corner, where he is always there when you need something. He lives it with you. There is some value in that. No matter how it turns out in the end, he experienced it. He has the same feelings, high and low. It just makes it feel even more like a united team.”

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(Pictured above: Meech Robinson / The athlete; Photos: Sean Gardner / Getty Images, Logan Riely / Getty Images)