Jimmy Fallon Pays Tribute to Prince 

"I gotta go, prince challenged me to ping pong." is a legitimate excuse from literally any life event.

"Ask yo boy." -Prince Rogers Nelson, The man, The myth, The undefeated ping-pong champion.

Jimmy Fallon is actually a good story teller when he's just being himself. Not to mention... It's a fucking Prince story.

"Ask your boy." It was so worth hearing this story just for the ending.

"Ask your boy."

I had the privilege of meeting Prince many years ago in Hampton, Va when I worked security for a Time/Vanity 6 autograph session at a record store in the mall. My buddy Dion and I worked the line of fans and had the opportunity to hang out in the back room with Morris Day, Jerome and Vanity. All very nice people, very bright and energetic and excited to be on tour with Prince. I had been told that one of his hobbies was playing electric football, and for those who remember, that was the game back in the 1970's way before Madden games. Anyway, I was listening to Morris Day talk about the Vikings as he was a huge fan and I was a Cowboys fan so we were jawing with one another about the 1975 championship game where Staubach throws the late TD pass to win it for the boys. He mentions that he and Prince were huge Vikings fans (maybe that's why Prince liked the color purple??) and somehow we got onto electric football. I told him my Cowboys team had never been beat since 1970 and had 316 wins in a row. He said that he and Prince used to play all the time as kids and even to that day, Prince still had his game. This is before cell phones, and after the autograph session ended, I went home and later that evening around 7pm, just as we were getting ready to leave for the Prince/Time?V6 concert, I get a call from the manager of the record store. She gives me a number to call and said it would be Morris Day. I call the hotel number, and a guy answers the phone and a few seconds later Morris is on the phone INVITING me to the show. I told him I had tickets but he says he wants Dion and I plus two to come backstage and meet Prince. After the concert, we went backstage and there are very few people other than band and stage people so it was not like a Motley Crue backstage party by no means. Morris walks us over to where Prince is standing with his body guard Chick. Prince is very small as we all know and he says to me "So, your Cowboys have never been beaten?" And I answered "Never, not one game!" So he says I want to play your team against my Vikings team. He was a trash talker but in a very quiet way. He had one of his managers talk to me and we swapped numbers. Fast forward to April 1982, I get a call from a guy named Steve who says that Prince wanted me to fly out to Los Angeles (that is where he lived back then) and he wants you to bring your Cowboys team with you. A few days later I get tickets in the mail for LAX and the following week I am flying out to hang with Prince. A limo picks me and my fiancee Amy up at LAX and we are driven out to where Prince lived. We go inside and are escorted to a room which was probably a dining room at one time and there is a small table with two chairs and an electric football game on the table. We are offered drinks and some sandwiches and after about 45 minutes Prince comes into the room. He was wearing a Vikings t-shirt and after some small talk we got down to the rules of the game because we both played it a bit different. So after we agreed in the rules, we started the game. At halftime, my boys were up 14 to 0 and Prince was aggravated by how well my defense was playing. Back then, we had bases that could be adjusted to make the players turn and I was shutting down his sweeps. In the second half I pretty much stomped him scoring four more TDs and winning the game 42-0. He was impressed and said that we would play again very soon now that he saw how good my team was he knew his team needed some work. Prince was very flamboyant in those days before Purple Rain but it was all show business. He was as normal as anyone. He did talk softly and was shy to some point, but I got to see him being competitive complete with yelling and cussing at his players. It was awesome. Over the next 35 years, Prince and I would meet for a game between his Vikings and my Cowboys in February after the real Super Bowl. In fact, I have been to only one Super Bowl game in my life and that was when he preformed at halftime in 2007 compliments of Prince. He was a very nice man, very giving and charitable and he looked out for his friends and that included me for many years. He knew my children as on several occasions we all were together over the years. Although, we only got together for one weekend out of the year to play that game I felt like we were friends. We are the same age and had many things in common, music, sports, and how we grew up in the 70;s with all the different influences. We last played our game on February 20th 2016. Prince was in great health, no-indications whatsoever that he was ill in any way shape of form. My Cowboys won that game 35-17 and over the course of our games, using the same teams/players/bases and the same game field all those years, the record was Cowboys 22 Vikings 13 in games one. At one time, Prince had won four years straight. And for the first 8 years, I had won each game. It was a fun but very competitive match between us. Some of you will question the story, and I would not blame you for doing so. Its an incredible story but true. Prince was a regular guy once off the stage and out of the limelight. He was very smart. One of the smartest people I have ever met. RIP my friend.

I loved how Jimmy and his drummer were wearing purple, Jimmy was wearing a purple tie and his drummer was wearing a purple handkerchief/heart to pay tribute to Prince's death.

6:55 "If you ever meet him, he's got...if you ever *met* him..." Ah man, that got me a little bit...

When Prince wants to play Ping Pong, you play fuckin' Ping Pong. 💜😂

Prince stories are the fucking best.

His purple tie 💜

Prince had the art of the "EXIT" perfected!!

This is the best story Jimmy Fallon has ever had on his show.

A great tribute to focus not on the fact that Prince died, but that he lived!

That shit was hilarious as fuck. Thanks for the memories Prince.

This 9 minute video is a shining moment for Jimmy Fallon. His ability to tell this story complete with such authentic vocal and physical impersonation is extraordinary.

That Prince impression is on point

Their purple accessories (Jimmy's tie, Quest's heart pin etc.) are all nice touches.

Someone needs to animate this.

This had me in tears! Prince, the King of Shade, will be missed.

his impression of prince was flawless

When he said: "If you ever meet him,uhh if you ever met him", it made it real. But you know what, we will still have him alive through his music. Lets go crazy!

It's one of those things where I listen to this and I think, Prince thought to himself, "Bucketlist, play pingpong with Jimmy Fallon"

It's been 6 years crazy RIP TO THE GOAT 🐐

The stance Jimmy had, I can totally picture Prince having done that! what a great story and I love the way Jimmy tells it

The saddest moment is when JF says 'If you ever meet him' and quickly repeats 'If you ever met him.' Too much.

This segment is an instant classic period. RIP Prince.

Great story. "You ready to do this?" I can picture the way he was standing. What a huge loss to the music world.

Someone needs to put together all these stories in a book.............. #bestseller

prince was a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma i could listen to celebrities tell there prince stories for hours :)

I just noticed they are all wearing something purple💜

Best Story………EVER. 😜😂😂😂😂🥺🥺😭😭😭💗

Jimmy did such a good impression of Prince!

Prince is one of those beings where his private life is as legendary as his public life.

Greatest Story Ever.

Jimmy, please upload Prince's full performance on your show from 2013!

That's one of the best stories I've heard. It almost made me believe that I was actually there. Thanks for sharing, Jimmy.

Ask your boy ! WHAT A LEGEND!

I've watched this so many times, and it NEVER gets old. Bless you Jimmy. AND GOD BLESS PRINCE.

This is by far the best story Jimmy has said. Daaaamn I was laughing hard here hard. When Prince tells you to come play pingpong even if you're having a baby at the same moment, you leave and go play the damn pingpong.😎💫💜

Now THAT'S a good storey!!! and told beautifully. Theatre of the mind.

Michael Jackson and Prince are some of the only artists that could make the world stop when they die they are both musical genius geniuses and both the greatest of all time rest in peace to the both of them P.S. I wish Jimmy had a totally separate show where him and his famous friends just told Prince stories that would be hilarious.

Of all the Prince stories I've heard, that was the best one. I still can't believe he's gone . . . and his birthday is coming. Happy birthday, Prince. R.I.P. Prince.

I was a Flight Attendant for Northwest Airlines out of MSP when Prince and his entourage booked the entire first class for a flight to L.A. on one of our 747's. We were told not to speak to him directly and to look at him as little as possible. Anything we had to ask had to go thru his Assist. who would ask Prince. Prince would whisper to him then the Assist. would relay it to us. This went on throughout the flight. He was a bit of a snob, but I was thrilled to have served him during his flight and will ALWAYS be a Prince fan. Most celebrities were just like normal people when on board. Prince just exuded something extraordinarily special. Otherworldly one could say.

The funny thing is that Prince played ping pong with Zoey Deschanel in the New Girl Episode too! Prince must have really liked ping pong!!!😊

I could sit here all day and listen to jimmy tell stories. That was great!

fucking Prince! I wish I could've met him. haven't heard a bad story yet.

I can't with these Prince stories!!! 😂😂😂😩😂😂😂they slay me every time!!!💜💜💜💜Prince was everything!!!

This was a great tribute to Prince. Its understandable why so many people are sad and crying during remembrances, but I think Prince would have loved this fun and funny tribute.

Hot damn! That was a great story!

I totally think Prince and Chris Rock were in on this joke of disappearing on Jimmy Fallon this whole time. Chris Rock and Prince were friends and they knew how to mess with him.

Cool story. Prince was VERY mysterious, but that's Prince!

Probably Jimmy's best impression. He nailed that slight quiver Prince often had in his voice. Wow.

"Ask your boy"...I could see Prince saying that

OMG the prince stories are hilarious! What a personality he had.

This is probably the funniest story about PRINCE ever. The guy was a true legend in every way. Fallon does him to a tee! 😂😂😂

That dude was always doin the walk off. Hilarious. That's like the 4th story I've heard about Prince walking off stage or away from a game like that. Reminded me of the Charlie Murphy basketball story when Prince wins and just goes "blouses" and offered them pancakes

Bambi Eyes😂😂😍😍😍 on point Jimmy!!

I think I've watched this close to 20 times and posted it on my Facebook. Yet I still crack up every time. I never had the honor of meeting him, but this is precisely how I envision Prince. The man that calls you up and tells you to drop what you're doing to play ping pong with him (which you promptly do), then you turn your back after he whoops your ass at said ping pong game and you turn back around and he's gone. That's Prince, dammit! Add to it Jimmys amazing story telling and this becomes one of my favorite RU-vid videos ever. RIP to a true legend

Here in Minnesota it was a big Prince-style party. People were wearing all the purple they had, singing his songs, and at First Avenue, people partied all night. When they took down the flowers and things from the fence at Paisley Park, it all came back days later. RIP

this is like the best-story-ever! lol gotta miss him! may his absolute majestic soul rest in peace!

I miss him. He left a huge void. No one can ever fill Prince's shoes. Heels. Of all the outrageous Prince stories out there, this is one of the funniest I've heard! Quest's story about him being replaced by Finding Nemo is pretty good too.

I cried my eyes out in April when Prince died.... it still hurts. I would have given anything to watch him live.

B4 my Mom died in March she said "Remember the Good Things" 👣 Thank u 4 this @jimmyfallon 💜 #RIPPrince

Rest in Purple. Long live Prince!

I still can't believe he's no longer here. Ugh....heart broken! & devastated!!! 😭😭😭💜🙏🏽💜😭😭😭

Game. Blouses...

Thats what Angels do...touch lives....T.I.P. Prince

damn, Jimmy said "If you ever meet him. " probably still can't believe that it's real

His impressions be on fuckin point, to a TEE! He's literally the only talk show host I watch for this reason. He's genuinely nice, he's entertaining and funny af 😂 *prince* U ready to do this???? I was like yep that's him. I was never into Prince but damn.

One of my favorite PRINCE stories.

I don't care who's telling the stories... I LOVE Prince stories. This was great. Two years today... Miss you legend 💜😭

That was a good Chris Rock impression

One of the few artists i'd pay to see live. Him, Michael Jackson and Phil Collins...two of them are already gone. It's so sad. Still remember having a purple blazer and dancing to MJ and Prince when I was like 8 years old.

So funny hearing both men and women comment on his bambi eyes! LOL

These stories of Prince are hilarious. One of a kind.

Aw man, that story had me dyin!!!! Will only be one Prince, already miss him. RIP.

Prince was the puppet master of the celebrity world lol

Wish I could've known Prince.. I've heard numerous stories about his character these last few days and its truly set in what an amazing man we lost. He poured his talent out for so many years for the world to see, he used his gift from God to the fullest. What a blessing to have lived in the world when he did.

As a Minnesotan, Prince is without question one of our greatest sources of pride. When I heard the terrible news in April, it broke my heart. I remember hearing the guitar solo from "Let's Go Crazy" on the school bus in 5th grade (even though it came out years before I was born) and thinking, 'this is the coolest thing I've ever heard'. When I got my first car in high school (a 1994 Honda Civic), I named it Prince because it was purple.

Charlie Murphy and Dave Chappelle need to make this recreation happen

I always enjoy these intense stories jimmy tells

Prince just created a way to meet a fan without the embarrassment of being star-struck, one on one interaction without pretense, and avoided the begging to take you back to Paisley Park. He gave Jimmy an awesome Prince story. Say hi to my mom, I introduced her to Purple Rain, she was 56 when she fell in love with you.

Two years and I still miss Prince. Fan of his since I was in grade school. Lived a few blocks from Paisley Park Studio. I'm still in the denial stage of him not being here anymore. I love the ping pong story!!

I'd love to see Jimmy and Dave Chappelle reenact this story! 😂😂😂

Best part of the story was seeing a couple of real laughs out of Jimmy.

Charlie Murphy got the same ass-whooping in basketball. Too funny

Prince lived his life like a movie.

He wants to speak with you 😂😂 Prince, you will definitely be missed

Jimmy leads such an exciting life.

All Prince-Storys are fucking amazing! Someone should but them in a book I honestly believe he's some sort of a supernatural human being

What a cool story, great memory for Jimmy to have. RIP Prince....you may be beloved across the country, but you are cherished here in MN.

Oh man Prince was The SHIT! We miss you Legend.

This story never gets old. LOVE IT! Rest in peace, Purple One!

here is my Prince story. i never met him but his music got me through some tough times over the years. i could always count on him for that. thank you, Prince. 💜#4everinmylife

Amazing story and great impression. The "Do u wanna warm up?" was just dead on. He is missed.

Best story I've ever heard. LMAO....Prince always wins at everything.

Ask your boy. lol

Love this story I could listen to people talking about him for hours

I was missing Prince and came across this. Thank you.