Back in 1982, a 19-year-old Michael Jordan first met Richard Petty at Charlotte Motor Speedway

Michael Jordan’s athleticism extends beyond the confines of the NBA into the world of NASCAR, not to mention his co-ownership of 23XI Racing with Denny Hamlin. However, this has nothing to do with his recent plot to portray himself in racing. Its history can be traced back to 1982, which makes it more than 40 years ago.

Jordan, then a freshman, was solidifying his basketball roots as a member of the North Carolina Tar Heels national championship team. He was not shy about expressing his love for motorsport and subsequently had the opportunity to meet “The King”.

When Michael Jordan met Richard Petty at the racetrack

It was 1982, and Richard Petty was preparing to enter his Pontiac Grand Prix to dominate the oval at Charlotte Motor Speedway. But before the world 600-meter race, Jordan met Petty, and the two heroes declared themselves fans of each other.

It showed just how dominant North Carolinians were in the sports world, as this was the first time Jordan and Petty had met, but they were admirers of each other. Their pre-game meeting was impossible to ignore as it attracted countless eyes, whether from writers, reporters or even spectators.

Forty years after the two sporting heroes first met, a fan shared a throwback photo on X that captured the moment the two opened their mouths and smiled. I have posted the image and added a caption to it, “Richard Petty and Michael Jordan. This happened at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1982. MJ is no stranger to NASCAR. So proud to find this one! Two of the greatest in their field!”

Avid racing fans must have felt the need to highlight one of the most iconic things to ever happen in sports history. However, this isn’t the first time their 1982 photo has caught the community’s attention, with similar revelations sweeping the fanbase in 2020.

When fans couldn’t contain their feelings at the iconic meet-and-greet

When NASCARMemories shared this throwback image on X in 2020, fans immediately bombarded the comments section with their various reactions.

One fan hilariously teased the news, commenting: “How ironic is this photo? Nearly 40 years later, one of Richard Petty’s drivers left to drive for Michael Jordan. #NASCAR,” His goal is to get Bubba Wallace to move to Jordan’s 23XI Racing team.

Another fan shared the common belief and wrote: “It’s so ironic how things turned out. I wish Bubba had better luck as a successful driver…” But she didn’t stop there and expressed her feelings about the photo, commenting: “What a stunning photo!!!”

It is impossible for this fan to understand the reality shown and written about in this image, “is this real?”

One fan compared Jordan or Denny Hamlin’s previous stints in NASCAR and wrote: “So Jordan has been in NASCAR longer than Danny? 😏”

Watch this story: Here’s why Jimmie Johnson and Richard Petty decided to rename Petty GMS Legacy Motor Club

Both men enjoyed meeting each other, but little did Petty know that the freshman champion he met at Charlotte Motor Speedway would one day be known as one of the GOATs in basketball, if not outright the best player .