Tragedy has struck the NBA following the death of Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojevic. Milojevic, 46, died at a Salt Lake City hospital Wednesday morning.
Milojevic, who joined the Warriors coaching staff ahead of the 2021-22 season, quickly became a key member of Steve Kerr’s coaching staff. Milojevic’s first year on the Warriors bench ended with the team winning the seventh championship in franchise history.
Milojevic, a native of Serbia, was one of the league’s most revered assistants. During his coaching career, Milojevic had an indelible impact on many, including his former players Bogdan Bogdanovic and Nikola Jokic, a teammate of Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic, and every player and coach he worked with at Golden State.
Here’s what you need to know as the NBA world mourns the tragic loss of a special person and coach.
What happened to Dejan Milojevic?
In an official statement, the Warriors Announced that Milojevic passed away on Wednesday morning.
The Warriors were in Salt Lake City for a meeting with the Utah Jazz scheduled for Wednesday, January 17. Following the news, the NBA postponed Wednesday’s game to a later date.
The Warriors returned to California, where they were scheduled to face the Mavericks on Friday, January 19. The NBA postponed Friday’s game, keeping the Warriors out of action until at least Wednesday, Jan. 24.
In the statement, the team shared that Milojevic suffered a heart attack at a private dinner in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, January 16. Milojevic was taken to a hospital, where doctors attempted numerous efforts to save his life.
Milojevic was born in Belgrade in 1977 and began a 15-year professional basketball career in 1994. After retiring in 2009, Milojevic moved into coaching and became the head coach of Serbian club Mega Basket in 2012.
While coaching Mega, Milojevic coached many future NBA players, including Jokic, Ivica Zubac, and Goga Bitadze. Milojevic left Mega Basket in 2020 to coach Montenegrin club Buducnost, leading the team to the Montenegro Cup and Montenegro League championships at the end of the 2020-21 season.
After a decorated season in Montenegro, Kerr hired Milojevic to join the Warriors staff.
