NBA legend Michael Jordan explains being 'cursed' by competition: 'Keeps me young'

NBA fable Michael Jordan’s caller emotion successful sports is coming connected a racetrack alternatively of a court. 

But nan competitory juices he’s known for stay flowing, arsenic his 23XI Racing squad sits atop nan 2026 NASCAR Cup standings acknowledgment to nan 4 wins Tyler Reddick has already put done successful 7 starts.  

Jordan made an quality connected "CBS Mornings," wherever co-host Gayle King discussed his competitory tone now successful NASCAR. Jordan’s consequence was that he’s "cursed" pinch nan request to push for greatness — nary matter nan task astatine hand. 

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Michael Jordan, NBA Hall of Famer and co-owner of 23XI Racing celebrates aft Tyler Reddick, driver of nan #45 Chumba Casino Toyota, wins his 3rd title successful a statement to commencement nan 2026 NASCAR play winning nan NASCAR Cup Series DuraMax Grand Prix Powered by RelaDyne astatine Circuit of The Americas connected March 1, 2026 successful Austin, Texas. (James Gilbert/Getty Images)

"Think I’m cursed," Jordan said. "I’m cursed pinch this competitory cistron that thing that I do is from a competitory lens, you know? And successful immoderate ways, that keeps maine young. It keeps maine aggressively reasoning positively. It helps maine either understand everything that I’m progressive and I’m connected with."

Jordan told King that moreover nan minuscule task of getting fresh successful nan greeting turns competitory erstwhile he knows his wife, Yvette, is involved. 

MICHAEL JORDAN'S NASCAR DRIVER MAKES HISTORY WITH 3RD STRAIGHT WIN TO START 2026 SEASON

"I gotta get successful nan ablution and get into nan bath earlier she comes successful truthful she doesn’t slow down my time, and I tin get to nan play people successful time," Jordan explained. "I gotta driblet nan kids off. I sewage each these different things I gotta do."

Of course, Jordan’s competitiveness has been connected afloat show since his days astatine UNC earlier becoming an NBA fable pinch nan Chicago Bulls. He doesn’t cognize erstwhile precisely that request to beryllium competitory came to be, but he knows it was childhood. 

Michael Jordan, NBA Hall of Famer and co-owner of 23XI Racing looks connected during nan NASCAR Cup Series Straight Talk Wireless 500 astatine Phoenix Raceway connected March 8, 2026 successful Avondale, Arizona. (Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)

"I don’t know. I deliberation that my appetite to beryllium arsenic a kid created this competitory point wrong maine that has transcended and taken complete everything that I do," he said. "And I deliberation it’s a bully trait to person because immoderate group don’t person that trait.

"Some group get correct astatine nan cusp of what occurrence really means, and they tin ne'er get complete that hump. I deliberation it helps you measure each shape of success. Believe me, I’ve had my failures successful position of nan stages."

For 23XI racing, which is co-owned by seasoned NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin, it wasn’t an contiguous success. But done difficult activity and determination, 23XI Racing has developed into a premier team. 

Because of nan occurrence and nan slow climb to get to this constituent successful NASCAR, Jordan can’t shingle that competitory bug. 

Michael Jordan, NBA Hall of Famer and co-owner of 23XI Racing celebrates pinch a unit personnel of nan #45 Xfinity Toyota, aft driver, Tyler Reddick wins nan NASCAR Cup Series Goodyear 400 astatine Darlington Raceway connected March 22, 2026 successful Darlington, South Carolina. (Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

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"Once I get complete it, it’s infectious," he said. "It’s that emotion of, you know, you’ve accomplished something. I’ve gotten to that hill. It’s a agelong roadworthy getting up that hill.

"I deliberation that each clip you spot maine giddy down into that successful nan pit, it’s because we’re doing it. We perfectly are doing it. We’re starting to make a quality successful a athletics that nary 1 thought we could make a quality in."

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