Golden State Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojevic, who coached two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and was a former star in his native Serbia, died Wednesday of a heart attack in Utah. The team announced. Milojevic, a member of the staff that helped the Warriors win the 2022 NBA Championship, was 46 years old.
Milojevic was hospitalized in Salt Lake City on Tuesday night after suffering a medical emergency during a private team dinner. The Warriors were scheduled to play the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night, but the NBA postponed the game.
Golden State Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojevic and Houston Rockets #51 Boban Marjanovic during a game between the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on February 24, 2023 in San Francisco, California. smiles on the sideline. (Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
Milojevic was in his third season with the Warriors. He previously coached in Serbia with Montenegro — and even worked with a younger Jokic before the now-starring player for the Denver Nuggets came to the United States. He has been a head coach in Europe for eight years and previously served as an assistant coach for the Serbian national team alongside current Atlanta assistant Igor Koskoskov.
“The NBA is mourning the sudden passing of Golden State assistant coach Dejan Milojevic, who was a beloved colleague and dear friend to many in the world of basketball,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “I will.” “In addition to winning the 2022 NBA Championship in his first season with the Warriors and coaching some of the best players in the world, Dejan has had an illustrious playing career internationally and is well known in his native Serbia. He was also a great head coach.”
Milojevic has worked closely with Jokic, Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac, Orlando center Goga Bitadze and Houston center Boban Marjanovic during his time coaching in Europe. With the Warriors, he worked primarily with big men like Kevon Looney, who praised Milojevic's attention to detail.
“Rest in peace Deki,” Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic wrote on social media.
Kerr said he originally learned about Milojevic from Kent Lacob, the son of Golden State owner Joe Lacob. And when the Warriors made some staff changes in 2021, Kerr decided to pursue Milojevic. It took some convincing, but Milojevic eventually agreed to accept the offer. Carr was excited.
“I knew right away what Kent was talking about,” Kerr said in a video the Warriors produced last year. “He was really great to be around. At the same time, he had a great basketball history as both a player and a coach. Bringing Deki in made a lot of sense for us.”
Milojevic won three straight Adriatic League MVP awards, winning those trophies in 2004, 2005 and 2006 when the 6-foot-7, 240-pound power forward was at the peak of his playing career. Jokic was named the league's MVP in 2015, a year after current Golden State forward Dario Saric won the league's MVP award.
No player has won more MVP awards in the Adriatic than Milojevic, and the stories of some of his early matches are legendary. Among them was how, as a 14-year-old in 1991, he scored 141 points, 83 of which came in the second half when his coach told him to take all his shots.
“I teach all my players that basketball is not a job, you should enjoy the game,” Milojevic told Bosnian radio television station RTV in a 2018 interview. “Because if you want to do something for the next 20 years, you have to love it very much. It's not easy to endure all these efforts if you don't like it. Have a genuine love for the game Only people can make everything a great success.”
Golden State Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojevic with No. 15 Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets during Game 5 of Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Playoffs at Chase Center on April 27, 2022 in San Francisco, California. Talk. (Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
Before joining the Warriors, Milojevic gained NBA experience as a summer league assistant coach in Atlanta, San Antonio and Houston.
When Milojevic's death was announced, tributes began pouring in from both his former team and those he didn't play for. “It was an honor to work with Dejan during his time with the Warriors,” said former Golden State assistant and current Sacramento coach Mike Brown. “He was not only a very talented coach, but an even better human being.”
added Dylan Ennis, a longtime international professional player who was once coached by Milojevic. “Not only were you a great basketball player, you were a great human being. You will be missed by many.”
A postponed date for the Warriors-Jazz game was not immediately announced. The Jazz said Wednesday night tickets will be honored for the postponed game. Golden State is next scheduled to play Dallas at home on Friday.
Milojevic is survived by his wife Natasa and children Nikola and Masa.
“Their loss is immeasurable,” Kerr said.
