NBA great Shaquille O'Neal floats theory on Blue Origin flight

Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal is weighing in on the recent Blue Origin space flight. 

Blue Origin was founded by Amazon founder and Executive Chairman Jeff Bezos. 

O'Neal mentioned the recent high-profile Blue Origin flight, which featured an all-female crew, during a recent discussion with comedian David Spade.

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O'Neal, a four-time NBA champion, suggested the trip to space did not actually occur. O'Neal's theory seemed to center around his belief that Bezos was never willing to send his fiancée, Lauren Sanchez, into space.

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Sanchez and singer Katy Perry, television personality Gayle King, NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, film producer Kerianne Flynn and civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen all took part in the trip.

But O'Neal also pointed out what he believed were discrepancies within a video Blue Origin released. From the 51-year-old NBA analyst's perspective, something in the recording appeared to be off.

"I know Jeff loves Laura. He wouldn't want anything to happen to her," O'Neal told Spade during a recent edition of the "The Big Podcast with Shaq." 

"So, I think there was some green screen involvement there. That’s one. No. 2, their hair was luxurious in space. Katy Perry’s hair didn’t move. Laura’s hair didn’t move. Nobody’s hair moved. Then I saw when they landed Jeff had the special key, but it was already open. So, I’m going to go Universal Studios green screen on this one."

Fox News Digital contacted Blue Origin for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Several celebrities attended the event last month, including Oprah, a close friend of King's. The mission spanned 10 minutes and 21 seconds.

Perry said the experience of going to space was "second to being a mom."

"That’s why it was hard for me to go because that’s all my love right there. And I have to surrender and trust that the universe is going to take care of me, protect me and also my family and my daughter," she said.

Fox News' Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.

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Scottie Scheffler uncharacteristically upset over PGA Championship rules decision

Scottie Scheffler, the world's top-ranked golfer, appeared to turn some heads at the PGA Championship Thursday. 

The normally even-keeled and quiet golfer took exception to the PGA of America's decision not to play lift, clean, place for the first round of the PGA Championship at the soggy Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte. 

The PGA of America is the governing body of the tournament, which is the second major of the season. 

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On Wednesday, the organization released a statement saying it would "play the ball down, as it lies." The announcement came after the course was doused with several inches of rain before the first round.

Several players were effectively forced to contend with what is often referred to as "mud balls," making the trajectory of hit balls less manageable.

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Scheffler hit a tee shot to the middle of the fairway on hole No. 16, and the shot hooked to the left and went into the water for a double bogey.

"This is going to be the last answer that I give on playing it up or down,’’ Scheffler said. "I mean, I don’t make the rules. I think when you’re looking at the purest forms of golf, like if you’re going to go play links golf, there’s absolutely no reason on a links golf course you should play the ball up. It doesn’t matter how much rain they get. The course could be flooded underwater, and the ball is still going bounce somehow because of the way the turf is and the ground underneath the turf.

"In American golf, it’s significantly different. When you have overseeded fairways that are not sand-capped, there’s going to be a lot of mud on the ball, and that’s just part of it. When you think about the purest test of golf, I don’t personally think that hitting the ball in the middle of the fairway you should get punished for."

Scheffler acknowledged the position "a golf purist" would likely take, but the two-time Masters winner suggested the rule decision created unforeseen conditions for competitors. 

"On a golf course as good of condition as this one is, this is probably a situation in which it would be the least likely difference in playing it up because most of the lies you get out here are all really good.

"I understand how a golf purist would be, ‘Oh, play it as it lies.’ But I don’t think they understand what it’s like literally working your entire life to learn how to hit a golf ball and control it and hit shots and control distance, and all of a sudden, due to a rules decision, that is completely taken away from us by chance.

"In golf, there’s enough luck throughout a 72-hole tournament that I don’t think the story should be whether or not the ball is played up or down. When I look at golf tournaments, I want the purest, fairest test of golf, and, in my opinion, maybe the ball today should have been played up.

Scheffler rallied from the tough break on the 16th hole and finished Thursday 2-under par. Ryan Gerard was at the top of the leaderboard Thursday evening. The PGA Championship continues Friday.

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