Michael Jordan Is No Longer One Of Nba's All-time Top 5 Scorers, But His Nascar Team Is Surging

Michael Jordan didn’t look excessively upset.

Hours aft Kevin Durant knocked him retired of nan apical 5 connected nan NBA’s all-time scoring database , Jordan was each smiles arsenic he walked to Victory Lane to shake hands Tyler Reddick aft nan driver’s triumph Sunday astatine Darlington Raceway.

Reddick — who drives for 23XI Racing, which is co-owned by Jordan and seasoned driver Denny Hamlin — joined NASCAR Hall of Famers Dale Earnhardt and Bill Elliott arsenic nan only Cup Series drivers to triumph 4 of nan first six races successful a season.

To do so, Reddick had to flooded a malfunctioning artillery and a ample shortage successful nan last 50 laps. Afterward, Jordan jumped nan track’s information obstruction to shake hands Reddick and his squad pinch immoderate difficult precocious fives and enthusiastic cheers.

“I deliberation nan cardinal to him winning was conscionable keeping his head,” Jordan said aft nan race. “We conscionable had to get nan car right, and I deliberation he did an unbelievable job. I conscionable wanted everything to beryllium good, because erstwhile he gets backmost retired there, past I consciousness for illustration his competitory juices are going to transportation him each nan measurement to nan end. He earned it each week, and I’m existent proud of nan team.”

Earlier this year, Reddick became nan first NASCAR driver to commencement nan play pinch 3 consecutive wins. He stands atop Cup Series standings, starring second-place Ryan Blaney of Team Penske by 95 points. Reddick’s 23XI teammate Bubba Wallace is presently successful 3rd place.

One nighttime earlier, Durant scored 27 points successful nan Houston Rockets’ 123-122 triumph complete nan Miami Heat to overtake Jordan for 5th spot connected nan NBA’s all-time starring scorer list. In his 18th season, Durant has 32,294 points — 2 much than Jordan, who played 13 seasons for nan Chicago Bulls and 2 for nan Washington Wizards. Durant and nan Rockets play nan Bulls successful Chicago connected Monday.

Jordan has yet to remark publically connected nan matter, but Durant had plentifulness of praise for nan man considered by galore to beryllium basketball’s GOAT connected Saturday during his postgame news conference.

“It’s benignant of crazy passing him up because he’s meant truthful overmuch to nan game,” said Durant, who passed Wilt Chamberlain and Dirk Nowitzki connected nan scoring database earlier this play and now trails only Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and all-time leader LeBron James.

“I’ve been inspired by each of these players that I’m either coming adjacent to aliases passing up, and MJ is successful a world of his own,” Durant added. “He’s successful a postulation of his ain arsenic personification that I look up to, respect and who fundamentally shaped nan crippled for me.”

Durant besides pointed retired that Jordan would person scored galore much points had he not taken aggregate seasons disconnected during nan span of his playing career.

“He near a few, I want to say, 1000 aliases truthful points connected nan table, too, pinch nan magnitude of games he missed,” Durant said. “... He scored points quickly, man. So he group nan barroom high, and it’s beautiful cool to scope that bar.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.