Dave Chappelle's 2004 skit of one particular basketball game involving music icon Prince is one of the most popular sketches in recent memory.
In a wide-ranging GQ interview with some of the late singer's closest friends and collaborators, it's been revealed that not only is the story true, there is also more details that were left out of the Chappelle's Show sketch.
The story goes, as told by Eddie Murphy's brother and fellow comic Charlie Murphy, the pair and some of their crew were invited back to Paisley Park after a night out to play a game of basketball, where Prince and his team wiped the floor with the opposition.
Oh, and later, Prince served them pancakes.
Commenting on the comedy skit, former bodyguard for Prince and Paisley Park president, Gilbert Davison, said, "The funniest thing about it was how much Charlie Murphy got right".
Guitarist Micki Free, who is also depicted in the sketch, confirmed that Prince and the team played in the same clothes they went out in.
"Eddie and the other guys changed into basketball clothes — I think they got them out of their car," Free said.
"Prince didn't change, and neither did I. Prince was wearing exactly what he had on from the club, and trust me, if we came from the club, he was looking like new money. He always did. Perfection: matching boots, matching outfit, matching handkerchief, hat, cane, whatever—it was always on point. And as far as I can remember, he was wearing his heels.
"Oh my God, I'll never forget it," he continued.
"We go out, the Murphys are looking at me like, 'Yeah, baby — Free, I'm gonna eat you alive.' I'm thinking that, too. So Prince… I'm not kidding you, he started playing basketball like he was Michael Jordan or someone, man.
"First shot of the game was nothing but net. He was just so bad. And everybody looked at each other like, 'What the hell?' He was just so, so good — really controlled, sidestepping, just style. He could play basketball. That's how the night went, and we won. And then his cook, Rande, made us blueberry pancakes."
However, Davison's claim of what happened after Prince's team destroyed Murphy's is so good, we don't know how it got left out of the skit.
"The backstory to that was — and this is the part Charlie doesn't tell — Eddie had wanted to play Prince his new album," Davison revealed.
"So during that basketball game, Eddie's music was playing, via boom box, on a cassette. After that game, Prince goes over and he tosses the cassette out of the boom box and he says, 'Let me ask you a question: Do you see me stop my show to do comedy?'"
Burn.
Check out the Chappelle's Show sketch below.
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