Inside Prince’s Famous Basketball Game with Charlie Murphy

April 21, 2017 1:02 pm
Charlie Murphy
Charlie Murphy performs at The Stress Factory Comedy Club on November 14, 2014 in New Brunswick, New Jersey. (Bobby Bank/WireImage)

 

One of the most famous sketches from Chappelle’s Show involved the sadly-deceased Charlie Murphy telling a story about the also-sadly-deceased Prince challenging him and his buddies (including his brother Eddie Murphy) to a basketball game, then wiping him off the court. Well, according to former Prince guitarist Micki Free, it’s all true.

“Charlie Murphy wasn’t lying,” he tells Esquire. “We went back to Prince’s house after the club … and out of nowhere Prince says, ‘Do you guys want to play basketball?’ Me and Charlie and Eddie are looking at each other like, what the hell?”

Prince performing on stage during thr Purple Rain tour (Richard E. Aaron/Redferns)
Prince performing on stage during thr Purple Rain tour (Richard E. Aaron/Redferns)

 

Free, who was part of Prince’s ultra-exclusive inner circle, had a front row seat for a lot of the Purple One’s outlandish behavior, but this event was among the weirder things he took part in.

“We played three-on-three,” he says. “I don’t remember if we changed our clothes, but I know for certain that Prince did not change his … all I remember is when Prince made that first shot, it was all-net.”

Even the bit about Prince making pancakes really happened. “They really did make us pancakes—blueberry pancakes,” Micki remembers. “And they were good! Hanging out with Prince was magical.”

Watch the classic Chapelle’s Show skit below. (Warning: This video contains graphic language)

—RealClearLife

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