Nash is one of the greatest point guards in the history of the NBA . He's 38 years old, but the Lakers still think he has enough juice in him to keep that championship window open a little bit longer for this group of players.
It was a move that almost no one saw coming, including Nash himself.
"It was a surprise for sure, man. I think it was about 10 days ago, I said it would be hard for me to put on a Lakers uniform," Nash said on ESPN radio.
Nash said the biggest reason why he wanted to be a Laker was the proximity to his three kids living in Phoenix.
"The reality is it was too good an opportunity to pass up as far as where my children were concerned," Nash said.
It also helps that Nash will get to share a back court with one of the greatest to ever play the game - Bryant.
"This trade means the Lakers are right there with the Heat and the Thunder as one of three teams that can legitimately say they are in the hunt for a championship," said ESPN Los Angeles radio host Max Kellerman.
Potential future teammates are thrilled, including Pau Gasol, who said in a TwitCam on Twitter, "He makes everyone around him better, so it's an exciting moment I think for all the Lakers fans and Lakers family."
But who will be around him? Rumors are swirling that Andrew Bynum could be traded to the Orlando Magic for superstar center Dwight Howard.
Nash wants to recruit his friend and fellow veteran Grant Hill to join him at Staples Center.
"It'd be great if we can get him, and I'll do anything I can if the Lakers are open to making that a reality," Nash said.
Either way, Nash says he's not obsessed with ending his reputation as one of the best players not to win a title.
"When I step away from the court, I realize that's not going to define me. I battle, and I compete, I'm a great teammate," he said. "Having said that, I'm dying to win one."
