Tyler Reddick reflects on his son’s relationship with Michael Jordan after Talladega win

With team owner Michael Jordan in attendance, Tyler Reddick put his No. 45 23XI Toyota Camry in Victory Lane at Talladega. It was the first time the GOAT was present to see his NASCAR team win a race.

In the aftermath of the wild finish, Tyler Reddick had no idea MJ was at the race. No one at 23XI Racing knew he was coming. But when it was time for the celebrations, there was Jordan, holding Reddick’s son, Beau.

Beau, now four years old, was up in the arms of Michael Jordan and making his way to Victory Lane to see his dad. It’s a relationship and bond that Reddick knows is special.

In previous wins, Beau was a bit too young to really know what was happening. This time around, he knew exactly what was going on.

“Yeah, to have him [Beau] wide awake in victory lane, celebrating with us, he knows who Michael Jordan is,” Reddick explained after the race. “Any time I have a pair of Jordans on or he does, I always ask the question, ‘Whose shoes are these?’ He says, ‘Michael Jordan’s shoes.’

“Yeah, in the moment it means a lot, but as he gets older and everything too, looking back on that, that’s going to be really, really cool.”

When asked if Beau knew MJ as the basketball guy or the shoe guy, it was easy. At just four years old, Jordan is the guy who has the shoes. I’m sure Beau has no shortage of his own Jumpman sneakers at home.

“Oh, that’s a good question,” Tyler Reddick replied. “I feel like probably with as young as he is, more as the guy with the shoes for sure. The shoe company, right? I haven’t done a great job, and you just gave me some ideas of what to do in the future. I’ve got to probably play some highlights, some Finals matchups, and educate Beau a little bit better.

“He knows who Michael is obviously, but yeah, obviously he sees a lot of the shoes, but that’s some homework I can do. Play some old-school games for him so he can get a real good feel of how dominant he was in his prime.”

While Jordan can seem larger than life at times, he was almost approachable after the race. He didn’t seem like the billionaire sports mogul. Instead, he was just Michael. Holding Beau in his arms, he made a real impact on fans.

Not to mention, Tyler Reddick won with the Jumpman logo on his car. Jordan Brand in Victory Lane with the man himself! A great moment for not just 23XI Racing but for NASCAR as a whole.