The NBA All-Star game is generally a big occasion for the NBA world, and it allows everyone to watch the best talent in the league square off against each other in a game, with rosters for each team being drafted by the two All-Star captains beforehand.
The NBA had an event to commemorate the All-Time NBA 75 prior to the game. One of those players and one of the most obvious inclusions on that list is Michael Jordan, as most people would consider him the GOAT of basketball.
However, it seems as though Michael Jordan didn’t attend the ceremony, as it was recently revealed that he is at the Daytona 500 race. The Daytona 500 is a 500-mile race that happens every year.
Michael Jordan really went to the #DAYTONA500 instead of the #NBA75 pic.twitter.com/RDgQCW7SZz
— NBA Retweet (@RTNBA) February 21, 2022
Michael Jordan notably bought a NASCAR team back in 2020, and he signed Black driver Bubba Wallace as his driver. Bubba Wallace notably came in 2nd place at the Daytona 500 today, losing to Austin Cindric. It was definitely an unfortunate loss for Wallace.
“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.”
“I see this as a chance to educate a new audience and open more opportunities for Black people in racing,” Jordan said.
RIGHT DOWN TO THE WIRE 😳
Austin Cindric edges out Bubba Wallace to win the #Daytona500 pic.twitter.com/yBrhcYvuO9
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 21, 2022
It is extremely unfortunate that Michael Jordan ended up skipping the ceremony, but as the owner of a NASCAR team, it makes sense that he’d attend an event where his driver was racing.
There were some other notable absences during the event from members of the All-Time NBA 75 today, such as Russell Westbrook. Even though some are missing the occasion, there was still an amazing collection of talent present, with a lot of former legends present in Cleveland. The ceremony was still a success, and it was awesome to see many legends get their recognition.
