Roy Hibbert talks 'Parks and Rec' with Rolling Stone

Of all the true-life Indiana connections to fictional Pawnee, Ind., Roy Hibbert may be the most difficult to miss.

Standing at 7-2, Hibbert plays center for the Indiana Pacers and is a three-time guest star on NBC sitcom "Parks and Recreation."

The seventh and final season of "Parks and Recreation" begins tonight at 8 p.m. on WTHR-13. Rolling Stone magazine chatted with Hibbert about his relationship with the show.

RS: Who is your favorite character on the show?

Hibbert: Everyone is so funny. I will say that I've gotten close to Ben Schwartz, who plays Jean-Ralphio on the show. Whenever I'm in L.A. we go to dinner. He comes to my Lakers and Clippers games. We just hung out after my Clippers game a couple of weeks ago. He was in "The Interview" and we had dinner the night it was announced they were going to cancel the release of the movie. He was so bummed the whole night. But, Ben and I have a real nice friendship there.

In a Season 4 episode, Hibbert and former Pacer Detlef Schrempf help Jean-Ralphio dunk a basketball at the party-themed headquarters of Entertainment 720 -- Pawnee's ill-fated entertainment media conglomerate.

Hibbert appeared in two Season 4 episodes ("Ron and Tammys" and "End of the World") and Season 5 episode "Two Parties."

"Two Parties" brought the male cast members of "Parks and Recreation" to Indianapolis, highlighted by a visit to St. Elmo Steak House.

Hibbert and former Pacer Miles Plumlee run into actors Aziz Ansari, Chris Pratt, Nick Offerman, Rob Lowe, Adam Scott and Jim O'Heir at the restaurant, where Hibbert taunts Ansari's Tom Haverford about the downfall of Entertainment 720.

The final season of "Parks and Recreation" concludes on Feb. 24, and Hibbert said he makes no on-screen appearances.

"I was supposed to film an episode this summer but we couldn't work it out with my practice schedule and their filming schedule," Hibbert told Rolling Stone.

Call Star reporter David Lindquist at (317) 444-6404. Follow him on Twitter: @317Lindquist.