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Dejan Milojevic (Golden State Warriors Coach) Dies at 46

Milojevic

Milojevic suffered a heart attack at a private team dinner Tuesday evening prior to playing against Utah Jazz and died despite all attempts made at saving his life.

Born and raised in Belgrade, Serbia, he joined the Warriors coaching staff in 2021 after coaching pro basketball teams in both his homeland and Montenegro. Under his tutelage numerous big men would go on to join NBA clubs, such as Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic who earned two consecutive league MVP awards.

Dejan Milojevic Was a Mentor to Two-Time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic

Milojevic hails from Belgrade, Serbia. Over his 14-year pro career spanning Serbia and Europe he earned three Adriatic Basketball Association MVP awards. After retiring he returned to coaching, serving one season as head coach of Montenegro’s KK Buducnost team before going on NBA Summer League staffs with Atlanta Hawks, San Antonio Spurs, and Houston Rockets – ultimately coaching on their respective staffs as head coach or associate.

Steve Kerr expressed his profound sadness in response to Dejan Milojevic’s passing, writing in his statement that it left him “absolutely devastated”. Kerr also spoke highly of Dejan as both an excellent basketball coach and one of the most positive and generous people he ever knew – two qualities which he said Dejan was remembered for.

The Warriors announced on Tuesday that a game scheduled against Utah Jazz on Wednesday has been postponed due to an assistant coach’s death; she worked closely with their centers. A new date for rescheduling will be determined at a later date; their next scheduled game is Friday against Dallas Mavericks in San Francisco.

He Was a Lifer

The Warriors and NBA world alike mourned the loss of one of their assistant coaches who suffered a heart attack at a team dinner Tuesday evening in Salt Lake City and died Wednesday despite efforts at saving her.

Milojevic joined the Warriors coaching staff in 2021 and was an instrumental component in leading them to win their 2022 NBA title. Prior to that he served as head coach of KK Mega Basket in Serbia as well as coaching their national team; additionally he spent time with KK Buducnost of Montenegro and Atlanta Hawks, San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets during summer league competitions.

The team reports that Kevon Looney and Dario Saric benefitted greatly from working closely with him, helping them improve their rebounding abilities. Furthermore, he had strong bonds with all young players on their roster according to organization. On Wednesday before their games several teams held moments of silence in his honor before their contests; unfortunately the Warriors’ match against Utah Jazz has been postponed without being given an official date of reschedule.

He Was a Coach

Steve Kerr heaped praise upon Milojevic Wednesday, calling him one of the “most positive and beautiful human beings I’ve ever known.” According to team news on its X social media account, Milojevic suffered a heart attack Tuesday evening at an official team dinner held in Salt Lake City and died as a result of it.

Milojevic joined the Warriors in 2021, working primarily with forwards and centers on both offensive and defensive units. Unfortunately, due to life-saving efforts being deployed at his hospital bedside despite our best efforts he passed away late Wednesday morning despite their efforts.

Milojevic hails from Belgrade, Serbia. Over his 14-year professional playing career overseas – spending time in both FR Yugoslavia league with teams such as Beovuk and FMP and Adriatic League with Buducnost and Partizan – as well as representing his national team, winning gold at EuroBasket tournament. After retiring as player he went onto coaching Mega Vizura for eight seasons before serving as head coach of both KK Mega Basket and KK Buducnost respectively.

He Was a Family Member

In a statement posted to their X account, the Warriors expressed their deep sadness over Milojevic’s passing. According to them, he suffered a heart attack during a private team dinner held Tuesday evening in Salt Lake City and died late Wednesday morning, despite lifesaving measures being implemented.

Milojevic joined the Warriors coaching staff in 2021 and was in his third season with them when his death occurred. Additionally, he worked in Serbia before Jokic came to America as well as Montenegro where they both served on coaching staffs together.

The Warriors had planned to face off against Utah Jazz on Wednesday night but due to an NBA decision has postponed their match-up. A makeup date will be determined later. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr spoke highly of his assistant coach, calling him an integral member of basketball culture.

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