23XI Racing has already stunned fans with some Michael Jordan artwork on their machines this season, and they don’t intend to stop wowing us. Tyler Reddick became the talk of the town before the Grant Park 165 at Chicago Street Course as he debuted a new Jordan-inspired design on his car.
The No.45 Toyota was wrapped in a shattered glass design, with the iconic Air Jordan logo displayed prominently on the bonnet. Die-hard Jordan fans may have recognized the tribute immediately, but here’s the story for those who didn’t.
The Story Behind Tyler Reddick’s Air Jordan-Themed Ride in Chicago
Jordan laced up for an exhibition game in Trieste on August 26, 1986. It was a routine promotional event for Nike, and nobody had any idea it would produce one of the most iconic Jordan moments of all time.
As expected, the Chicago Bulls legend Jordan mesmerized the crowd with 41 points and his usual aerial artistry, but what truly made the night unforgettable had nothing to do with the scoreboard.
At one point, Jordan threw down a dunk so powerful it shattered the backboard. The exhibition game was called off on the spot, with his team narrowly ahead 113-112.
Fortunately, no one was seriously injured. Two opposition players sustained minor cuts from the shattered glass.
For some reason, Nike took 30 years to realize the commercial appeal of the incident. In 2015, Nike introduced the limited edition “Shattered Backboard” Jordan series. The shoes were a throwback to the 1985 incident, and as you can imagine, they became an instant hit.
The orange, black, and white color scheme is a nod to Stefanel Trieste’s jersey, which is the team Jordan had played for in Italy in that game.
Following their success, the sneakers saw multiple reinterpretations. A more orange-heavy ‘reverse’ edition hit the shelves in the following year. A satin women’s exclusive complete with an embroidered wings logo was released in 2018, and a Halloween special was launched in 2019.
This year, Nike is relaunching the original Shattered Backboard Air Jordan 1 series to celebrate its 10th anniversary. That’s why 23XI Racing honored their co-owner with that colorway.
Staying faithful to the original’s quality leather and signature colors, the 2025 version also includes a unique shattered-glass box and themed insoles.
Reddick will hope to end his wait for a win while sporting one of the coolest liveries NASCAR fans have seen this year.
The 23XI Racing driver will be one of the frontrunners in Sunday’s Grant Park 165 after qualifying fourth. Interestingly, Reddick also started fourth at this track last season and went on to finish P2. This time, he’ll be aiming to go one better.
Reddick is currently sixth in Cup Series standings, but he is not one of the 12 drivers who have won a race this season. He has 533 points to his name before the Chicago race with four top-5 finishes.