(Reuters) – Three-time NBA champion Stephen Curry will take space agency NASA up on its offer to tour its lunar lab after he sparked controversy by saying he did not believe humans had ever been to the Moon, comments he later called a joke.
FILE PHOTO: Dec 5, 2018; Cleveland, OH, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) looks to celebrate with forward Kevin Durant (not pictured) during the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Allard Beutel, a spokesman for the agency who this week invited Curry to tour the Johnson Space Center in Houston, told science publication Inverse on Thursday the Golden State guard said he would be willing to make the trip.
“Mr. Curry (is) taking us up on our offer,” Beutel said. “We still need to work out all the visit details.”
The controversy started on Monday when Curry said on a podcast that he did not believe humans had ever been to the Moon.
NASA landed 12 American astronauts on the Moon from 1969-1972.
On Wednesday Curry backtracked, telling ESPN that his comments were just a joke.
“Obviously I was joking when I was talking on the podcast. [Then] I was silently protesting how stupid it was that people actually took that quote and made it law,” he said.
“I am definitely going to take up on their offer. I am going to educate myself firsthand on everything that NASA has done and shine a light on their tremendous work over the years.
“And hopefully people understand that education is power, informing yourself is power.”
The Warriors will be in Houston to take on the Rockets on March 13.
Editing by Greg Stutchbury