5 Quotes from Luka Doncic's Lakers press conference that broke Mavs fans' hearts

The NBA world stopped on Saturday night when the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick.

It was clear that Dallas was looking for a defensive star at the trade deadline, but no one outside of Nico Harrison knew that Doncic was on the table to begin with. Harrison and Rob Pelinka worked this trade out behind closed doors, and Mavericks fans have been shocked about the potential implications this team could have on the team now, and moving forward. Fans have been heartbroken, as the team traded away the franchise cornerstone, and Doncic felt some of this sadness and shock as well.

Doncic reportedly cried when he heard about the move, and he badly wanted to win a championship in Dallas. He thought that he was going to spend his entire career in Dallas, but one trade changed everything.

5 Heartbreaking quotes from Luka Doncic's Lakers presser

Now, Doncic is having to move on as he had his introductory press conference as a Laker on Tuesday morning, but even Doncic admitted that nothing about this process was easy.

Everything is changing for Doncic in an extremely short time, but he is embracing what it takes to be a Laker and close the Mavericks chapter of his career while beginning the next.

5. Doncic was going to re-sign with Mavericks this summer

One thing that has been discussed ever since Harrison's press conference about the trade on Sunday is the possibility that Doncic wasn't planning to sign the supermax extension that he was eligible to sign in Dallas this summer. Doncic shut that down on Tuesday.

"Absolutely not," Doncic said when asked if anyone in his circle indicated to the Mavericks that he wasn't going to re-sign in Dallas. "Easy answer."

Doncic wanted to be a Maverick, and he wanted to sign the supermax extension this summer to remain in Dallas long into the future.

4. Doncic still deeply cherishes Kobe Bryant

Doncic shared a close relationship with Kobe Bryant, and when asked about Bryant early on in the press conference, he dropped a quote that will be carried with him for his entire Lakers career.

"I just wish Kobe and Gigi were here to see this moment," Doncic said.

Doncic says it meant so much to him that Bryant knew his name during the iconic moment in Los Angeles in which Bryant spoke Slovenian to him, and Doncic will always remember that exchange.

3. Doncic was in tons of shock when the trade went down

Doncic was nearly asleep when the trade went down, and he was in as much shock as everyone else in the world was.

"I mean, everyone was surprised, so you can imagine how surprised I was," Doncic said. "I was almost asleep when I got the call, and I had to check to see if it was April 1st. I didn’t believe it at first. It was a big shock, hard moments for me. It was home."

Doncic had to make sure it wasn't April Fool's Day when he got that call on Saturday night, and this trade was truly made in the shadows. No one knew.

2. Doncic truly wanted to be a Maverick for life

In Doncic's letter to Dallas, he made it clear that he wanted to retire a Maverick and win a championship in Dallas. It was a heartfelt letter, and it showed how much he truly loved the city and the fans. In his Lakers press conference, he doubled down on everything he said in that letter.

"I thought I was gonna stay my whole career there," Doncic said. "Loyalty is a big word for me."

Doncic thought that he was going to be the face of the franchise through the thick and the thin. He wanted to be loyal to the city, fans, and organization.

1. Doncic didn't lash out against Mavericks

Even after being traded without even his agent knowing, Doncic never said a negative thing about the Mavs during his entire press conference. He was asked about the Mavericks front office's decision to trade him, and he took the high road.

"That's their decision," Doncic said. "I have no comment on that. They made the decision, I don't know why. But that's their decision, so I can't do nothing about it."

Rather than diving into how he probably feels about being traded in the manner that he was, he kept quiet. He still doesn't know why the Mavericks came to the decision to trade him, and this trade may never feel real for Mavericks fans.