A clip of Michael Jordan interacting with Tyler Reddick‘s six-year-old son at a Nascar event has gone viral – and it’s continuing to grab headlines as the internet is extremely divided with its opinions!
Some people think the 63-year-old retired basketball player’s behavior – which at one point includes touching the back of the little boy’s shirt repeatedly – is totally “inappropriate.” Others are defending him, and are insisting that what he is doing in the video is completely innocent given the apparent context of a chaotic race-day celebration. Keep reading for more details…
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Clip Of Michael Jordan And Tyler Reddick's Son Goes Viral
On February 15th, Jordan's Nascar team, 23XI Racing, secured its first Daytona 500 victory with driver Tyler Reddick at Daytona International Speedway. The now-viral video was filmed during the post-race celebrations in Victory Lane, where Reddick's family – including his six-year-old son, Beau – joined in the festivities.
In the clip, the former NBA star can be seen pinching the lower back of Beau's shirt multiple times and briefly brushing the back of his leg. Some viewers found the interaction unusual and inappropriate.
Other viewers, however, have taken to social media to suggest that Jordan may have been trying to brush champagne and ice from the celebration off Beau's clothes, and doing so in a playful manner.
Many Social Media Users Defend Michael Jordan: 'Leave Him Alone!'
As the clip circulated online, many fans rushed to Jordan's defense and thought the moment was harmless and taken out of context.
"Oh stop it. That's the winner's oldest son. MJ is clearly like FAMILY. The safest place to take your children is to an American race track. Racers have 0 tolerance for this," one person wrote on X.
"Y'all take things too seriously here," declared a second, as a third concurred: "Social media loves outrage more than facts. Let's get the full story before dragging a legend." "Y'all controversy addicts need to move on to something that actually matters," echoed a fourth.
"He's just being playful," thought a fifth, as a sixth said: "I'm gonna give Michael Jordan the benefit of the doubt. Probably not what it seems." A seventh chimed in: "This seems innocent idk why but I can just tell the difference." "Jordan owns the team that won and that's the winning driver's son! Good God, don't spread evil," begged an eighth.
The defense continued over on Instagram, with a ninth saying: "He was just playing with that kid! He did it right in front of other adults in a very public setting. My opinion, he was totally playing around with this kid. Michael Jordan is a legend!" A tenth begged: "Leave him alone, he's not on the Epstein list!"
BREAKING: This footage of NBA legend Michael Jordan engaging with a young NASCAR fan has been going viral on every social media network. pic.twitter.com/YINERdD5sY
— Dom Lucre | Breaker of Narratives (@dom_lucre) February 16, 2026
Other Social Media Users Deem Michael Jordan's Behavior 'Inappropriate'
However, not everyone was convinced. A number of social media users said the clip made them uncomfortable and questioned the appropriateness of the interaction. "What in the world is that about?" asked one confused X user. "This man needs to be locked up or something. That's a kid!" exclaimed a second.
"Geeeezzzzz! I always liked MJ, but now!?" wrote a third, in apparent disbelief, as a fourth slammed: "This is another level of weirdness. Why is the GOAT Jordan touching that kid's [expletive?]" "This right here not cool, come on Mike," commented a fifth, as a sixth quipped: "Guess my Jordan cards are worthless now."
"How to lose your legacy in 23 seconds," wrote one disapproving Instagram user. "Is his name in the files?" asked a second, in reference to the Jeffrey Epstein files, as a third said: "Yuck!" "I saw this when it happened live and instantly was like omg no," claimed a fourth, as a fifth thought: "There are a lot of people around and it's not appropriate but you can tell it was a joke. Still shouldn't have done it."
"People are seriously defending a grown man squeezing a young boy on the bottom, then scratching his bare legs? All after he looks around before touching him? Grossly inappropriate!" exclaimed a sixth.
"Y'all gotta stop defending this guy!" added a seventh, in agreement, as an eighth concurred: "It's weird that some of you are justifying this." "Don't. Touch. Kids," wrote a ninth, as a tenth concluded: "He shouldn't be touching him."
