Warning to rest of NBA: 'We're going to have to be dealt with', Kobe says

Kobe Bryant says the Lakers are going to have "to be dealt with" now that Steve Nash is on board. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

When Steve Nash was acquired on Wednesday in a sign-and-trade deal to join the Los Angeles Lakers, there was no doubt the rest of the NBA took notice and are doing everything they can to make sure they stay competitive.

The Lakers are once again serious contenders in the Western Conference with the Nash acquisition.

Speaking with Yahoo! Sports, Lakers guard Kobe Bryant summed up what the rest of the league is thinking. "We're going to have to be dealt with," he said.

Bryant, who is practicing in Las Vegas with Team USA in preparation for the London Olympics, also told Yahoo! that he immediately wanted Nash when that option became possible.