NASA offers to show Stephen Curry proof after he raised doubts about moon landing
Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry said he doubts whether humans ever landed on the moon. He made the comment during a podcast released Monday and it caught the attention of NASA, which offered to show him moon rocks at the Johnson Space Center in Houston and educate him about the mission.
During an appearance on the "Winging It" podcast with the NBA's Vince Carter, Kent Bazemore and host Annie Finberg, Curry and his Warriors teammate Andre Iguodala started talking about how there are some things no one can really know, like what sounds dinosaurs made.
Curry then wonders aloud, "We ever been to the moon?" And others swiftly answer, "Nope."
"They're going to come get us," Curry said. "I don't think so, either."
He added, "Sorry, I don't want to start conspiracies."
NASA found out about the remarks –– and proposed to show the basketball superstar proof of the 1969 Apollo 11 mission.
Allard Beutel, a NASA spokesperson, suggested to The New York Times that next time the team is in Houston to play the Rockets, Curry should stop by the Johnson Space Center. Beutel said they have hundreds of pounds of rocks from the moon they'd like to show him.
"During his visit, he can see firsthand what we did 50 years ago, as well as what we're doing now to go back to the moon in the coming years, but this time to stay," Beutel said.
The Warriors are scheduled to play the Rockets –– a rematch of last year's Western Conference Finals –– in March. Curry has not said yet whether he would take NASA up on the offer of a tour.
Retired American astronaut Scott Kelly also wanted to talk sense into Curry.
"Steph, so much respect for you, but re the moon landing thing, let's talk. DM me," he tweeted.
Curry is not the only player to buy into a galactic conspiracy theory. Boston Celtics guard Kyrie Irving once stated the he believed the Earth was flat before backing away from that stance and apologizing to science teachers everywhere.
Conspiracy theories are nothing new for NASA. The space agency said there are answers to all the questions typically raised by skeptics, but one of the the strongest arguments is that all the Apollo missions were independently tracked by England and Russia, both of whom sent letters of congratulations after the moon landings.
Meanwhile, NASA is developing plans to return to the moon, this time with the help of private companies. The agency selected nine companies last month that will be allowed to compete for a share of up to $2.6 billion in funding over the next 10 years to build and launch instruments, experiments and small robotic payloads to the moon.
