Roy Hibbert will appear on NBC?s ?Parks and Recreation?

On a random Thursday night in winter, I look forward to two things: good NBA games on TNT and NBC's Thursday night comedy lineup. So, after watching Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith make fun of each other's advanced ages, I flip over to The Peacock to catch up with the hilarious comedy "Parks and Recreation," in which the employees of small-town Indiana government contend with bureaucracy and their own personal hangups. It is one of the best comedies on TV right now and you should definitely watch it if you don't already.

The series also has a basketball connection. Former NBA great Detlef Schrempf has appeared twice as himself, first as a special guest on a city-wide telethon and second as an in-house consultant/basketball player for Tom Haverford's Entertainment 720 media group. In the fourth season, Schrempf will be joined on the show by a current NBA player. He tweeted the news on Tuesday while filming another appearance:

Lots of fun on the set of Park & Rec. Aziz Anzari & Ben Schwartz are hilarious! Gotta give it up for Roy Hibbert for his first acting gig!

Indeed, let's give it up for Roy! Based on the events of the third-season finale, I am going to guess that Tom and his Entertainment 720 co-mastermind Jean-Ralphio bring in Hibbert as yet another in-house consultant/basketball player, perhaps so Schrempf will not get bored as he shoots baskets. It's a genius move, and exactly the kind of move that can turn a boring old office into a fully functional interactive workspace and dreamatorium.

Hibbert cultivates a serious, no-nonsense manner on the NBA court, but his Twitter account proves that he's actually a laidback guy with a good sense of humor. "Parks and Rec" showrunner Michael Schur (aka Fire Joe Morgan's Ken Tremendous) likely hasn't asked him to be any more than a straight man in this episode. Whatever the case, he should handle it well.

I, for one, await this episode's air date with bated breath. If only because Hibbert may be the only NBA player on Thursday TV for quite some time.

Charles Barkley Rick Barry Elgin Baylor Dave Bing Larry Bird