One of the proudest and most exultant moments in the history of the United States came in July 1969 when members of the Apollo 11 mission became the first people to ever walk on the moon. But over a half-century later, there are still some red-blooded Americans who think that mission was completely fabricated and that no human being has set foot on the moon.
Apparently, one of the most important members of the Boston Celtics could be part of that faction who believe that the moon landing was a conspiracy.
Derrick White of the Boston Celtics said on a recent episode of the “White Noise” podcast that he doesn’t think NASA astronauts walked on the moon. But he also said that it “probably did” happen, making his statement sound somewhat confusing and wishy-washy.
"I wouldn't call myself a conspiracy theorist," White said. "But I do think they are very interesting. … I don't think we did. I'm a non-moon landing guy. We probably did, but I don't think we did. I don't really know, but I don't think we did."
On July 16, 1969, a crew led by Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin took off inside the Apollo 11 spacecraft and headed toward the moon. It was the realization of a statement made by then-President John F. Kennedy in 1961 that the United States should aspire to land a man on the moon by the end of the decade.
It is widely believed that the Cold War and the Soviet Union’s successful launch of the Sputnik satellite spurred the Apollo space mission. After 1969, five more Apollo missions allowed astronauts to walk on the moon before being safely returned to Earth, with the one notable exception being the Apollo 13 mission in 1970.
Despite extensive evidence that these missions actually took place and were successful, there have always been conspiracy theorists who claim that the landings were faked. In recent years, there has been an overall increase in the number of people who believe in various conspiracy theories, especially in the United States.
White will be key to the Celtics’ hopes of aiming for the stars
Even if White doesn’t want to believe that man has walked on the moon, he will be an important factor in the Celtics’ hopes of reaching the NBA’s loftiest heights once again.
Their attempt to win back-to-back world championships last season was thwarted by the New York Knicks in the second round of the playoffs. White played rather well at times, and this year, Boston may need him to play a somewhat bigger role offensively when it matters most.
Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porziņģis and Al Horford, three pivotal two-way players on Boston’s 2024 championship team, are long gone. While the franchise has found a couple of new gems, it doesn’t boast a particularly imposing cast of scoring threats, and White has been struggling with his shooting.
Last season, he made 44.2% of his overall field-goal attempts and 38.4% of his 3-point attempts. This season, he’s at 39.6% from the field and 32.5% from beyond the arc.
The return of six-time All-Star forward Jayson Tatum after he tore his Achilles tendon last May has infused many with the belief that the Celtics have what it takes to capture the Larry O’Brien Trophy once again. Indeed, many consider the Celtics to be the favorites to reach the NBA Finals, even though Tatum is struggling with his shooting.
The Eastern Conference may be a little weaker than the Western Conference, but the race to represent the East in the NBA Finals could be very contentious and exciting over the next couple of months.
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