Michael Jordan walked into a federal courtroom on Monday, ready to stare down NASCAR’s power structure. Instead, a potential juror handed him the kind of reality check only a fellow Tar Heel could get away with, a reminder that UNC football’s first season under Bill Belichick hasn’t exactly gone according to plan.

Jordan’s reaction? A head shake. A laugh. And a moment that instantly became the most human snapshot of the entire day.

Jordan was in Charlotte for the start of a landmark antitrust trial involving 23XI Racing, the NASCAR team he co-owns with Denny Hamlin. The lawsuit challenges the sport’s charter system and could potentially reshape how teams earn revenue, grow, and compete.

But before opening arguments, the courtroom had to find jurors who could treat Michael Jordan like a

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