Tony Parker (photo. NBA)

All-Star Saturday Night is cool and everything, but only us chosen media folk get a chance to experience All-Star Friday Morning. This year, my ASFM media pass got me in a 9:30 a.m. sit-down with Tony Parker at a downtown Phoenix Subway. TP was on-hand to shoot around with some local kids and talk about his role in Subway’s 3-Point Play contest, where one fan (and three guests) can win a paid trip to San Antonio to attend a Spurs practice, shoot around with TP, then go to a game. (As well as win a free year of DirectTV service and an Xbox 360.) For more details on the contest, go to www.subwayfreshbuzz.com.

Dime: The winner of this contest gets to go to a Spurs practice. Does your team’s practice habits differ at all from other NBA teams you know of?
Tony Parker: It’s actually a little bit different with us because we have a veteran team. I don’t think we practice as hard or as long as maybe a younger team, so it’s pretty cool.

Dime: What do you guys do as a group off the court, like on the team plane?
TP: Nothing special, really. Everybody has their own routine. Guys play a lot of poker, but a lot of guys just like to rest. You travel and play so much during the year, it’s important to rest your body when you can.

Dime: So it’s like you guys don’t all necessarily hang out?
TP: Oh no, I hang out with everybody. We have a great team and a great group of guys; everybody gets a long. It definitely helps when you’re the point guard and you play with guys you like to hang out with.

Apparently Steve Nash interviewed TP after I was done

Dime: You’ve avoided major injuries for the most part during your career. How did you handle going out earlier this season, especially with Manu already out and it leaving you guys really short-handed?
TP: It was tough, you know, because I was playing so well when I got hurt. But now we’ve got everybody back and healthy and we’re going in the right direction.

Dime: Since you did miss some games, were you at all surprised that you still made the All-Star team?
TP: No, not at all. Sometimes being hurt keeps guys out, but I don’t think I missed enough games to miss the All-Star Game.

Dime: Who in particular stepped up when you and Manu were out?
TP: It was a little bit of everybody. George (Hill), Roger (Mason), they both played pretty good basketball and kept us with a good record. Roger, he’s been huge, hitting big shots and providing that outside threat. He’s a great shooter. Players like myself and Manu, we can draw attention and when that double team comes, Roger will get a lot of open shots and take full advantage.

Dime: A lot was made going into the season about how tough the Southwest Division would be. Has it been what you expected?
TP: It’s always tough; the last two or three years, the Southwest has been very tough. The Western Conference in general is very tough. You don’t have any nights off. You have to bring it every night and play well every night.

Dime: When you hit for 55 against Minnesota earlier this year, what was it like that night?
TP: It was just one of those nights, man. It was great. You wish you were in that zone all the time. It’s a great feeling, like everything you’re doing is working.

Dime: Is it true how they say the basket looks bigger than it really is?
TP: Oh yeah, definitely.

Dime: How does the entire atmosphere around All-Star Weekend compare to events like the Emmys and the Oscars and other major shows you’ve been to?
TP: It’s different. The biggest thing is at stuff like the Emmys, I’m not working, I’m just there for my wife. And then when it’s All-Star, she’s not working, so it’s like vacation for her.