Our friends over at Inside Hoops.com have an excellent interview, with our guy D. Wade. Check it out. Good luck to D. Wade at the All Star Game!

Thanks to Earthtimes.org

CHICAGO, Feb. 14 /PRNewswire/ — Building on the momentum of its Super Bowl XLII G2 ad with Derek Jeter, The Gatorade Company, a division of PepsiCo (PEP), will debut a new 30-second G2 commercial starring Dwyane Wade during Friday evening’s NBA All Star Rookie Game. Wade, who just renewed a multi-year deal with the nation’s top sports drink company, joins Derek Jeter, Peyton Manning and Maria Sharapova as athletes who are showcased “off the field” as part of a comprehensive integrated marketing campaign to support the launch of G2, a new low-calorie lifestyle beverage. It’s the latest in beverage news from PepsiCo’s unrivaled hydration portfolio.

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Similar to the Jeter spot for G2 that debuted in the Super Bowl, the Wade ad uses special effects to reinforce the G2 product proposition — an athlete is an athlete 24/7. In the ad, as Wade walks in street clothes in an urban environment, the pavement begins to transform into the boards of a basketball court to communicate that athletes often think about the game even when they are off the field of play. The new spot plays off a G2 teaser campaign that showed just the legs and feet of an athlete walking with a sneak preview of the off-the-field visual technique.

“This ad has a really cool vibe and shows how I’m always thinking about the game, wherever I go. It shows how being an athlete is a lifestyle, because every decision you make can affect how you play,” said Dwyane Wade, five-time NBA All Star guard for the Miami Heat. “I’m always looking to be the best player on the court. Drinking Gatorade while I’m playing and G2 in between games helps me perform at my best.”

For decades, Gatorade has hydrated and fueled athletes on the field and now G2 will help keep athletes hydrated when they are off the field. G2 is available in Fruit Punch, Orange and Grape.

Dwyane Wade has had a relationship with Gatorade since 2005 and recently renewed this partnership through a multiple-year extension. Wade has starred in numerous commercials for the brand including solo spots for Gatorade Thirst Quencher as well as serving as a key face of The Gatorade Company’s new G2 drink.

“Dwyane’s unique style and personality off the court combined with his on the court talent make him an ideal partner for The Gatorade Company,” said Jeff Urban, senior vice president of Gatorade. “His approach to life and the game itself are a perfect fit for showcasing the benefits of Gatorade as well as G2.”

G2 is supported by the largest integrated marketing campaign since the launch of the company’s Propel Fit Water in 2002. Additional campaign support includes television and print advertising, digital, retail, sampling, and cause-marketing efforts.

The G2 advertising was produced by Element 79 Partners, Chicago. About G2 and Gatorade

G2 from the makers of Gatorade is a low calorie lifestyle beverage to help athletes hydrate when they are off the field so they are better prepared for competition. Research shows that as many as 50 to 70 percent of competitive athletes arrive at practices or games inadequately hydrated. Dehydration can have a negative impact on their performance and increase the risk for heat illness during practices or games especially in the heat. G2 is a low calorie beverage with electrolytes that help maintain electrolyte balance, encourage athletes to drink more and help athletes’ bodies hold on to fluid. G2 is for athletes off the field whereas Gatorade Thirst Quencher is a sports drink that provides the advanced hydration (fluids and electrolytes) and carbohydrate energy to fuel athletic performance on the field. With the addition of G2, the Gatorade Company will better meet the hydration needs of athletes on a 24/7 basis. The Gatorade Company is a division of PepsiCo, Inc. The PepsiCo Hydration Portfolio includes leadership products such as Gatorade Tiger, Gatorade Thirst Quencher, G2, Propel, SoBe Life Water, Aquafina and Tropicana. No other beverage company helps quench thirst on more occasions and in more great-tasting ways. For more information, please visit http://www.drinkg2.com/ and http://www.gatorade.com/.

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo is one of the world’s largest food and beverage companies, with 2007 annual revenues of more than $39 billion. The company employs approximately 185,000 people worldwide, and its products are sold in approximately 200 countries. Its principal businesses include: Frito-Lay snacks, Pepsi-Cola beverages, Gatorade sports drinks, Tropicana juices and Quaker foods. The PepsiCo portfolio includes 17 brands that generate $1 billion or more each in annual retail sales. PepsiCo’s commitment to sustainable growth, defined as Performance with Purpose, is focused on generating healthy financial returns while giving back to communities the company serves. This includes meeting consumer needs for a spectrum of convenient foods and beverages, reducing the company’s impact on the environment through water, energy and packaging initiatives, and supporting its employees through a diverse and inclusive culture that recruits and retains world-class talent. PepsiCo is listed on the Dow Jones North America Sustainability Index and the Dow Jones World Sustainability Index. For more information, please visit http://www.pepsico.com/.

About Dwyane Wade

Dwyane Wade is one of professional basketball’s most successful and popular players. Since he entered the NBA in 2003, Wade has three-times earned All-NBA honors. He led the Miami Heat to its first NBA Championship in 2006 and was named the NBA Finals MVP. That year, he was selected as Sports Illustrated’s Athlete of the Year. He holds Heat single-season franchise records for points, scoring average, field goals made and free throws made. This season, Wade ranks among the league leaders in points per game. He will be making his fourth consecutive appearance in the NBA All-Star Game.

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PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com The Gatorade Company

The Miami Heat have traded center Shaquille O’Neal. The good news is, the Heat and Dwyane Wade now have Shawn Marion to team with D.W. The Heat also acquired Marcus Banks from the Phoenix Suns. Here are the details:

Miami gets:

Shawn Marion: 07/08 - 15.8 ppg / 9.9 rpg / 2.1 apg / 2.0 spg / 52% fg

Marcus Banks: played 1 game for the Suns; played primarly in the NBA summer league

Phoenix gets:

Shaquille O’Neal: 07/08 - 14.2 ppg / 7.8 rpg / 1.7 bpg / 58% fg

From Miami’s stand point, this makes sense in 2 different ways. The first is to clear a lot of cap room: Shaq, as stated, has 2 years left on his contract for 20 million each year. Getting a hefty 40 million out of the picture is a nice breath of fresh air for the Heat. Secondly, when you’re 9-37, even in the awful…awful East, you’re out of the picture. This team is already thinking long-term. The Heat and Timberwolves will battle for the rest of the season for the number 1 pick in the draft, but either way they’re going to get a top college player. This team is bad, and old. It’s hard to believe they won a title just 2 years ago, but things change quickly in the NBA. They’ve come to the realization that they can’t contend with the guys they have right now, and what bigger change to make than trading Shaq? The rest of this season is about playing everyone, getting young guys involved, and meshing Marion into the offense. With a top pick in the draft and Marion, a 4-time all star, Miami will be rebuilding, but will certainly be somewhat better next year.

But the dumbfounded analysts and fans aren’t questioning the move from the Heat’s perspective, no, but rather Phoenix’s side. Already discussed was Marion wanting to get out, but why make the move for Shaq? Why pick up 40 million dollars worth for an aging star well past his prime? Well, to hammer home that point, take a look at the last few seasons for Shaq since he was traded to Miami in 2004:

2004/2005: 73 gp / 23.0 ppg / 10.4 rpg / 2.3 bpg / 60% fg

2005/2006: 59 gp / 20.0 ppg / 9.2 rpg / 1.8 bpg / 60% fg

2006/2007: 40 gp / 17.3 ppg / 7.4 rpg / 1.4 bpg / 59% fg

2007/2008: 32 gp / 14.2 ppg / 7.8 rpg / 1.7 bpg/ 58%fg

So, what do the numbers show? Well, for starters I would ignore the field goal percentage. You know what you’re getting with Shaq on the floor. He dominates the paint, he lives in the lane, and most of his shots are from 5-7 feet or closer; he’s always going to have a high percentage because of where he shoots on the floor. But in each of the other big categories, his numbers have fallen dramatically. His points, down from 23 to 14. His boards, down from 10 to 7. Maybe most importantly, his games played, down from 73 to just 40 last year. Let’s not mistake ourselves, Shaq will go down as one of the most dominant forces in NBA history. But age has caught up to him in a big way. He simply can’t move or jump the way he used to. Defenses aren’t intimidated the way they once were; you don’t have to gameplan to stop him anymore because faster, younger players will take the game away from him. So, why Phoenix..why do it?

Take a look at the western conference powers: Mavericks, Lakers, Spurs, Rockets, etc. Each of those teams has a big, big center in the middle of their lineup. In order - Dampier, Bynum, Duncan (although a power forward by trade), and Yao. These are 7 foot, 270 lb +, big bodies that have the ability to take over a game in the paint. Phoenix doesn’t have a true big body to take over in the paint. Now you might say, what about Amare Stoudemire? He’s a stud, no doubt about that. But over the last few playoff runs by the Suns, it’s been seen that he can’t handle the load by himself. That’s where Shaq comes in. Amare would start the game and your option off the bench would be a more rested and ready 14 time all star in Shaq. He can provide valuable minutes with Stoudemire on the bench. The man can still score, albeit less than he’s used to, but he can still manage double figures in any given game. The depth Phoenix gets from this trade is about winning the championship this year. Not next year, but this year. With Shaq off the bench, and the rest of the Suns lineup (where just about every single player has the ability to start), Phoenix suddenly becomes a tougher team to beat. They took the Spurs to 7 games a few years ago in the western conference finals. Does Shaq push them over the top? We have to wait and see. But even in their fast paced, run and gun offense, it never hurts to have a big dominating body like Shaq waiting in the wings.

Shaq daddy may be up there in age, but don’t question his desire to play. He can still produce for you, and now that he’s gone from the Heat, I believe he’s going to come into play with a new spring in his step. He’s going from a bottom of the cellar team in Miami (9-37), to the Suns (34-14) who sit atop the west. That’s enough to make any player play harder and with more energy than they once were. Does the trade make sense? It doesn’t seem like it, but maybe the Suns know something we don’t. Either way, it’s going to be exciting to watch.