Basketball fans remember the exact moment the internet broke back in late 2018. It wasn't because of a 40-foot buzzer-beater or a crossover that sent a defender to the floor. It was because Stephen Curry—the greatest shooter to ever live—casually mentioned on a podcast that he didn't believe humans had ever landed on the moon.
The Steph Curry moon meme was born instantly.
It started on the Winging It podcast, hosted by then-teammates Andre Iguodala and Vince Carter. They were just shooting the breeze. Somehow, the conversation veered into conspiracy theories. Curry asked, "We ever been to the moon?" The others said "no," and Steph agreed. Just like that, the most relatable superstar in the NBA became the face of "Lunar Denial."
The Moment the Internet Lost Its Mind
You have to understand the context. At the time, the Golden State Warriors were the villains of the NBA. They were winning everything. People were looking for any reason to poke at the "Golden Boy." When Curry questioned the Apollo missions, the floodgates opened.
NASA didn't stay quiet.
They actually invited him to the Johnson Space Center in Houston to see the moon rocks for himself. It was a masterclass in PR. Instead of getting angry, NASA basically said, "Hey Steph, we love you, but come see the receipts."
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The memes were ruthless. We saw photoshops of Curry trying to shoot a basketball into a crater. Fans started wearing astronaut helmets to games. Every time he missed a shot—which, let's be honest, isn't often—someone would tweet that he was distracted by the lack of gravity.
Why the Steph Curry Moon Meme Stayed Relevant
Memes usually die in a week. This one stuck. Why? Because it hit that weird intersection of celebrity influence and scientific literacy. It wasn't just a joke; it became a national conversation about how much weight an athlete’s word carries.
Curry eventually walked it back. He admitted he was "joking" on the podcast and that people should take the moon landing seriously. He even did an Instagram Live with retired astronaut Scott Kelly. Kelly spent 340 days in space, so he was probably the right guy to set the record straight.
During that Live, Kelly made a great point. He told Steph that when people believe the moon landing was fake, they start to doubt other scientific truths, like climate change or vaccines. It got heavy. It moved from a funny Steph Curry moon meme to a lesson in responsibility.
Curry handled it like a pro. He used the attention to auction off a pair of "Moon Landing" Under Armour shoes for over $58,000, donating the money to STEM education programs in the Bay Area.
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The Anatomy of a Sports Conspiracy
Basketball players have a weird history with this stuff. Remember Kyrie Irving and the Flat Earth theory? That was happening right around the same time.
It makes you wonder. These guys spend their whole lives in a bubble. They fly on private jets. They see the world from 30,000 feet, but maybe they don't see it the way we do. Or maybe they’re just bored on long flights and watch too many YouTube documentaries.
The Steph Curry moon meme worked because it was so out of character. Curry is usually the "sane" one. He’s the family man. The corporate-friendly face of the league. Seeing him lean into a conspiracy theory felt like seeing your math teacher join a garage band. It was jarring but also kinda humanizing.
Impact on the Warriors' Brand
Did it hurt the Warriors? Not really. If anything, it made them more talked about. The NBA thrives on "drama," even if that drama is about events that happened in 1969.
Fans at the Toyota Center in Houston (where NASA is based) started playing "Fly Me to the Moon" during warm-ups. The Warriors' social media team had to navigate a minefield of lunar jokes for months.
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What We Learned from the Lunar Lapse
Honestly, the whole saga taught us a few things about modern fame.
First, everything you say on a podcast is permanent. There’s no "off the record" when the mics are hot. Second, NASA has a surprisingly good sense of humor. They could have been defensive, but they chose to be educational.
Most importantly, we learned that Steph Curry is a good sport. He didn't dig his heels in like some other athletes might. He leaned into the joke, wore the custom sneakers, and ultimately supported the science he had questioned.
The Steph Curry moon meme is now a staple of NBA Twitter history. It pops up every time NASA announces a new Artemis mission or when Steph hits a shot so high it looks like it might actually hit the moon. It’s a reminder that even the most grounded superstars can have their heads in the clouds—or much, much further out.
Actionable Takeaways for Navigating Online Trends
- Check the source: Before sharing a celebrity "hot take," listen to the full context of the clip. Curry was joking around with friends, which often gets lost in a 10-second soundbite.
- Leverage the noise: If you're a brand or creator caught in a meme, do what Curry did. Redirect the negative or silly energy toward a positive cause.
- Trust the experts: When in doubt about science, look toward organizations like NASA or individuals like Scott Kelly who have actual "boots on the ground"—or in this case, boots on the lunar surface.
- Keep it light: The reason this meme stayed "fun" rather than "toxic" is that the parties involved didn't take themselves too seriously. Humor is the best way to handle a public blunder.