It's 2008 NBA All-Star Weekend and the league's stars are in New Orleans. Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade met with the media and talked about the West roster, the Shaquille O'Neal and Shawn Marion trade, and more.

Q: How do you feel about the coming to New Orleans and playing a role in the revitalization of the city?

Dwyane Wade: First of all, being in New Orleans means a lot. To come out here and represent the Miami Heat and the NBA at [NBA All-Star] is great. To be here and to really ... after only a few short years after the tragedy that happened here ... to bring this here is great. So hopefully we can do [good things] in the community and bring excitement to the city.

Q: The West roster is pretty loaded and they have a lot of confidence. Your thoughts?

Dwyane Wade: I think everybody in this game is a big name. They're supposed to feel confident. The West is having a great, great year, they have a lot of great players, but, you know, you have to play the game. We'll see about the outcome. We're going to go out and compete, hopefully better than we did last year, and try to get a win.

Q: Talking about the trade ... what does Shaq bring to the Suns and Marion bring to your team?

Dwyane Wade: Well, first of all, Shaq ... is really made for the Playoffs -- to slow the pace down for them and really give them a halfcourt dominance. He's really going to make Amare [Stoudemire] and them tougher. They're really going to be able to compete with guys on a different level than they have been in previous years. But what Shawn [Marion] brings to us is excitement and consistency. He's a guy that's going to give you what he gives you every night and he's a guy that, with myself, is [part of] the rebuilding tools ... for the future. Two totally different directions: Phoenix is looking to win now and we're looking to rebuild now.

Q: In the All-Star Game, how competitive is it out there on the floor?

Dwyane Wade: It's very competitive, especially the second half. First half, you're just feeling the game out a little bit, having some fun. The second half is very competitive because it's the time when everybody wants to win. This is my fourth All-Star Game; we're 2-1 in it and I would like to go 3-1 in my fourth game. So we're looking to come out and surprise people, because the West is loaded and they're projected to win. So we're looking to come out and surprise people and hope to play good basketball.