“How about I’ll take you to dinner as a thank you?” Jordan Fish asked Denny Hamlin decades ago when they first met during their stint at the Charlotte Bobcats (now the Hornets). Who would have known it would create one of the most iconic couples in NASCAR?
“I had such a good time with him that I didn’t even care if I got the sponsorship money at that point. When we hugged, I had butterflies in my stomach. It was the first time we hugged. And so then he runs in the house and gets me a check for my sponsorship – it was so sweet,” Fish had said at the time. Now the couple is expecting another child after having two daughters.
However, it’s not the new addition to their family that we’re talking about. The Hamlin household is buzzing with the NBA draft. Let’s see how it went!
The 2025 NBA Draft Lottery, with Jordan’s Hornets legacy looming, was a family affair for Hamlin and Fish. They hoped for a top pick—perhaps Duke’s Cooper Flagg—to revitalize the franchise. But NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum’s words crushed them: “The fourth pick in the NBA draft goes to the Charlotte…” The couple was in disbelief. Tatum went on: “The third will be the Philadelphia 76ers.” And the second was given to San Antonio Spurs. Fish was enraged, “That sucks. The Mavericks? Really? Why? Ugh. Boo.”
LAS VEGAS, NV – NOVEMBER 30: Denny Hamlin and Jordan Fish arriving to the 2017 NASCAR Motorsport USA Sprint Cup Awards at The Wynn Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 30, 2017. PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xDamairsxCarterx
For Hamlin and Fish, the Hornets have been where their relationship started. Their romance endured trials—long-distance drives from ECU, where Fish earned a communications degree in 2011, and Hamlin’s grueling race schedule led to two breakups. By 2007, they were inseparable. A 2021 rift, hinted at by Fish’s tweets, briefly shook them, but they reconciled, announcing their engagement on January 1, 2024, in Cabo San Lucas. Fish’s witty Instagram caption, “Rings: DH 0, Jordan 1,” teased Hamlin’s missing championship while celebrating their commitment. As they plan their wedding and await their third child, they’ll keep cheering for the Hornets, trusting the fourth pick sparks a revival.
But it’s not just about the romance, is it? Hamlin has been a lifelong Hornets fan and holds a season pass for their games. After all, the 23XI owner does live in Charlotte. However, for Hamlin, the Hornets are the team that has brought his dream of owning a NASCAR team to life.
“11 years ago I met Michael Jordan at a then-Charlotte Bobcats game and we became fast friends. Not long after, I joined @Jumpman23 as the Jordan Brand’s first NASCAR athlete. Our friendship has grown over the years and now we are ready to take it to the next level,” he wrote in an old Instagram caption. He added, “Tonight, I’m excited to announce that MJ and I are starting a new, single car @NASCAR Cup Series team for 2021. Deciding on a driver was easy – it had to be @BubbaWallace.”
No matter how things unfold for the Hornets, they will always have a supporter in Denny Hamlin.
Gender reveal party goes wrong in the Hamlin household
Now, fans remember the Christmas post Hamlin and Fish made announcing the arrival of their third child. It was an incredible moment, and with the June due date coming up soon, things are chaotic in the Hamlin household. The hype hit its peak during the gender reveal party when the couple unboxed sneakers that revealed they were having a boy!.
“Happy Mother’s Day @xojordanfish! It’s a boy ” he wrote in the caption, as Fish commented, “Hahahah oh dear!!” However, as fans who watched the video could see, in the chaos that unfolded, Molly wasn’t too happy. It wasn’t because she wasn’t excited about having a baby brother. You see in the excitement of finding out the gender, Hamlin accidentally elbowed her. Once he realised it, he quickly wrapped her into a hug!
Such was the joy for Hamlin, especially about having a boy. “I had to have it, I had to have it, man. There was just too many women in the house. Between everyone, it just … being the only male in the house other than my dog, I might’ve had to tap out if we had one more girl. Still gonna be outnumbered, but this is just so much better for me.”
He even stirred the pot on a potential future in racing for his son. “I’m trying to push my kids away from the racing as much as I can. The girls, luckily, all they care about is singing, dancing, acting, things like that. But the boy? Who knows?”
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