Michael Jordan To Become NASCAR Owner, Teams With Bubba Wallace

Michael Jordan announced Monday via Twitter that the Jordan brand will be partnering with Bubba Wallace and Denny Hamlin in NASCAR. So far in 2020, Bubba Wallace finished in the top 5 one time and hasn't won a race. Wallace may not be winning now, but will Jordan's deep pockets unlock his potential?

"Historically, NASCAR has struggled with diversity and there have been few Black owners," Jordan said in his statement. "The timing seemed perfect as NASCAR is evolving and embracing social change more and more."

Michael Jordan has historically stayed out the limelight when it came to social matters, but he's clearly changing course in 2020. Mike is taking a risk by choosing Bubba Wallace to make something of a major investment.

"I see this as a chance to educate a new audience and open more opportunities for Black people in racing," Jordan said.

Black people aren't alone in the fact that we're only inspired by dominance, and we aren't sure if it was the Petty #43 car or Bubba Wallace that wasn't working. Black athletes like Tiger Woods captivated a more broad audience because of his dominance, not just by being black. Putting money behind the Wallace name for a chance to build a black winner could be a game changer.

What works

MJ joins NBA player Brad Daugherty, a partner at JTG Daugherty Racing, as the only black owners at NASCAR's elite Cup level.

This is seen as an accomplishment in itself, but minorities in general should be paying attention to what lasts. Having Jackie Robinson break the color barrier was important, but his play was just as impactful. For him to show the world he belonged at that level, his .311 career batting average and 1949 NL MVP did the trick. Accomplishments in the sport you're looking to change can't be overlooked so Jordan replacing Petty Sports needs to work.

Winning in NASCAR, like any other sport, will be incredibly difficult so Jordan needs to make sure Wallace has everything he needs to win. Michael is essentially saying that Bubba Wallace could be a winner if he had a better car and pit crew, so now we'll get a chance to see the results. Jordan brand provides a potentially bottomless pit of resources to make sure the driver has everything he needs, so 2021 performance should be a good indicator.

What's the risk?

"Deciding on the driver was easy -- it had to be Bubba Wallace," Jordan said.

A year ago Bubba Wallace said "We're ballin' on a budget" and that should explain this move from MJ. Wallace was driving for a diminishing Petty Motorsports with far from unlimited resources. 2021 will give us a real idea as to how Wallace might benefit from some real support.

We should want more participation from minorities everywhere, but you can't make someone inspiring because they're wearing Jordan 11's. Jordan has to know this. MJ also must be aware of the size of the investment required for Wallace to have a shot at a checkered flag or two.

Michael Jordan and Bubba Wallace can't just be happy about the positive PR now, but they have to make sure the investment impacts winning to make this worth anything. Failing to turn Wallace into a winner could hurt minorities looking for investment down the road, so all eyes should be on Wallace and the Jordan brand now.

Written by
Gary Sheffield Jr is the son of should-be MLB Hall of Famer, Gary Sheffield. He covers basketball and baseball for OutKick.com, chats with the Purple and Gold faithful on LakersNation, and shitposts on Twitter. You can follow him at GarySheffieldJr