At 44 years of age, Denny Hamlin is still performing as well as he ever did in the NASCAR Cup Series. The man is on a mission to become a champion, and it doesn’t seem like he’ll be hitting the brakes until he does. Such commitment and competitiveness are not common in athletes at this age. His self-awareness has led him to believe that he is better than even ‘the’ Michael Jordan.
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Following Sunday’s race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Hamlin had told the press that he is really competitive for someone his age. During his appearance on the Dale Jr. Download, he was even asked whether he considered himself more competitive than Jordan.
Hamlin admitted that he did think that and went on to explain that the basketball superstar is not the same person he once was. “I think Michael Jordan at 60 years old or 50, I hate to mess this up but at whatever age he is [now], it’s different,” he said.
“He doesn’t have to compete each and every week. So when you’re in season or you’re in your job of being a professional sports athlete, your mentality absolutely is different than what it is after you retire.”
Moreover, Hamlin hadn’t known Jordan back in the day as he does now. So, he is in no position to compare his current level of competitiveness with what his 23XI Racing partner had during his prime days.
He continued, “I never, unfortunately, got to see that intense, intense side of him because I think he is a little different now that he’s got a bunch of kids and married and just, life’s different.”
Let’s just say, Jordan won’t be too pleased to hear this.
Denny Hamlin will keep running as long as his legs let him
Hamlin is at an age where most Cup Series superstars have already made plans for retirement and are just waiting for the ball to drop. But he is still some distance away from accepting that this is the end of the journey for him. He has made that clear to the press frequently over the last few days.
Notably, he said on Actions Detrimental that he could race for a longer time if NASCAR implemented a better championship format in the coming days. He’d also stated, after his contract extension with Joe Gibbs Racing, that he would analyze himself two years from now and then begin thinking about hanging up the boots.
For now, the only goal on the horizon is to win the Cup Series championship. He is on the right path on that front, winning four races this year already. He is also set for the postseason with 24 playoff points in his pocket after the Brickyard 400.
