Patriot Brief

  • What Happened: Michael Jordan went viral after a video showed him repeatedly pinching the butt area of Tyler Reddick's son, Beau, during Daytona 500 celebrations.
  • Why It Matters: Fans questioned why Jordan would touch the child that way, with the video sparking widespread backlash and concern about his behavior.
  • Bottom Line: Jordan was celebrating his 23XI Racing team's first Daytona 500 victory, but the moment has overshadowed the win with controversy.

Michael Jordan's celebration of his NASCAR team's historic Daytona 500 victory has been completely overshadowed by a viral video that has fans asking serious questions.

Jordan was at Daytona International Speedway on February 15 to support his 23XI Racing team and driver Tyler Reddick, who won the Great American Race. It should have been a moment of pure celebration for the NBA legend and co-owner of the team alongside Denny Hamlin and Curtis Polk.

But a video surfaced showing Jordan with Reddick's son, Beau, during the post-race festivities. The clip shows Jordan repeatedly pinching the lower back, butt area of the child and brushing his leg. Fans in the comments section were immediately confused.

"Why would he even need to do that to begin with?" one person asked on Instagram.

The video has since gone viral, with many viewers calling Jordan's behavior inappropriate. It is unclear what exactly was happening in the moment or what the context was. Jordan has celebrated with Beau before, and there is an old video of him holding Reddick's son after a previous race.

This is not the first time Jordan has been around the Reddick family. Tyler Reddick is a two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series champion who joined 23XI in 2022 and made his debut during the 2023 season. Jordan has been co-owner since 2020.

The 2026 Daytona 500 was supposed to be a career highlight for Jordan's racing team. Instead, the moment is being defined by a viral video that has sparked widespread backlash and raised questions about his behavior with a child.

At this time, neither Jordan nor the Reddick family has commented on the video.