- Stephen Curry joked on a podcast in 2018 that the moon landing was fake.
- Curry got a "stern" email from Former President Barack Obama saying that Curry's comments were irresponsible.
Former US President Barack Obama had to teach Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry a lesson in influence.
According to Rolling Stone's Matt Sullivan, Obama scolded Curry in 2018 for joking on a podcast that the moon-landing was fake.
In 2018, on the "Wingin It" podcast with fellow NBA players Vince Carter, Kent Bazemore and Andre Iguodala, Curry asked if humans had ever been to the moon. When the other players expressed doubt, Curry agreed, saying, "I don't think so, either."
The comments prompted criticism, with NASA even releasing a statement, offering Curry evidence to prove humans had been to the moon.
Curry told Sullivan that he received a "stern" and "direct" email from Obama, admonishing the star point guard for being reckless with his platform. Obama said that man had, in fact, been to the moon and that Curry needed to do something to remedy the situation.
Curry ultimately released a statement saying he was joking. He also held a 15-minute, informational live session on Instagram with an astronaut. And Curry had custom-made, space-themed Under Armour sneakers, which he later auctioned off to support STEM programs in the Bay Area. They sold for over $58,000.
Curry and Obama are close friends, so Curry took no offense to the seriousness of Obama's message.
According to Sullivan, Obama has even made jokes about top-secret material that presidents are privy to: While golfing, Obama joked to Curry, "You won't believe what the aliens look like."