Did Prince play college basketball? Exploring the 'Purple Rain' legend's rich history with hoops
Prince is widely considered to be one of the greatest musicians of all time. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer would have turned 65 on Wednesday. Outside of his legendary career, the iconic singer has had a life-long love for the game of basketball. Take a look at some of his moments involved in hoops below.
Prince played basketball as an amateur
While his stats are unavailable, Prince was apparently quite the talent as an amateur, despite being undersized. His amateur basketball coach Richard Robinson described his game, stating:
"Prince was an excellent player. He was like the sixth or seventh man. He was an excellent ball handler, a good shooter, and very short. Probably with a different group of people he would have been a starter, but as they turned out, they were probably the best ball team that ever came along at Central. I knew he wanted to be starting and felt he should be starting. He was unhappy and expressed that many, many times."
Check out the scouting report below:
From the Strib archives: Chappelle was right. http://t.co/icXBFGWkij
Another Prince-related clip from the Strib archives, looking back at his hooping days at Bryant Junior High. http://t.co/LrIQZ3LhSg
Prince continued to play basketball as his fame rose
In a now iconic story, Charlie Murphy, the late brother of Hollywood superstar Eddie Murphy, once revealed the truth about Prince's basketball skills. During a skit on Chappelle's Show titled 'Charlie Murphy's True Hollywood Stories,' the actor revealed that the 'Purple Rain' singer challenged him to a five-on-five game of basketball.
After initially thinking that the seven-time Grammy Award winner was joking, Murphy realized he was serious after his staff brought basketball shorts and sneakers. The rest of Prince's band, The Revolution,' remained in the same clothes they were wearing in the nightclub. Murphy stated:
"I said, 'you know what we going to call this?' The shirts against the blouses. When I said that, this look came on his face. He ice grilled me... This cat could ball, man. He was crossing cats like Iverson. Crossed me up, made my knees slam together. He was getting rebounds like Charles Barkley, snatching it down... Prince was incredible."
Murphy issued a dare to anyone wanting to challenge the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer to a game of one-on-one.
Check out Charlie Murphy's True Hollywood Stories below:
Prince once rented out Carlos Boozer's house
After joining the Utah Jazz ahead of the 2004-2005 season, Carlos Boozer purchased an offseason home in Los Angeles. Prince rented the home from the two-time All-Star and made some interesting changes.
Check out Carlos Boozer's story below:
Carlos Boozer tells the incredible story of the year Prince rented his L.A. mansion. https://t.co/mEFQZiINsj
Prince used to play basketball on stage at concerts
Prince, who was great friends with Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Magic Johnson, incorporated basketball into his concerts. The musical genius used to play basketball on stage during his shows.
Check out the footage below: