Dejan Milojević, an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors, passed away on Wednesday afternoon following a heart attack that he suffered while attending a private team dinner in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, according to the Warriors.
At that time, he was aged 46.
“We are absolutely devastated by Dejan’s sudden passing,” said Steve Kerr, the coach of the Warriors Basketball team. His family, friends, and those of us who had the tremendous pleasure of working with him are going through an extremely tough time right now. This is a devastating and tragic blow for everyone affiliated with the Warriors.
As well as being an outstanding basketball coach, Dejan was one of the most upbeat and lovely people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. He was the kind of person who brought happiness and light into each and every day via his boundless enthusiasm and boundless energy. Our hearts go out to Natasa, his wife, and their children, Nikola and Masa, during this difficult time. Such a loss is incomprehensible to them.
On March 28, 2023, in San Francisco, during an NBA basketball game between the Warriors and the Pelicans, assistant coach Dejan Milojevic passes the ball to the Pelicans.
The National Basketball Association has decided to postpone the game that was scheduled to take place on Wednesday between the Warriors and the Utah Jazz.
In a statement, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver expressed his sorrow at the unexpected death of Dejan Milojević, an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors. Milojević was remembered as a beloved colleague and a dear friend to a large number of people in the worldwide basketball community. According to the article, “Dejan had a distinguished international playing career and was a distinguished head coach in his native Serbia. In addition to winning the 2022 NBA championship in his first season with the Warriors and mentoring some of the best players in the world, Dejan also had a decorated international playing career.” During this particularly difficult moment, our deepest condolences go out to his wife, Natasa, as well as to their children, Nikola and Masa, and to the Warriors organization more generally.
Following stints as head coach in Montenegro and Serbia, the native of Serbia became a member of the coaching staff for the Warriors organization in the year 2021. While he was playing professionally in Europe, he won the Most Valuable Player award in the Adriatic Basketball Association three times. At the 2001 Eurobasket, he was the player that brought home the gold medal for Serbia and Montenegro. In addition to that, he has worked as an assistant coach for the Serbian national team twice.
It was long before anyone imagined Nikola Jokic as a two-time Most Valuable Player who could lead a team to an NBA title that he was coaching a youthful version of himself in Serbia. In the process of Jokic’s development into a skillful big man, he played a significant role.