Very bad: The Golden State Warriors coach is Dead according to the investigation; they found his body in the…
Friday, October 14, 2022, preseason basketball game versus the Denver Nuggets San Francisco.
Jeff Chiu/Associated Press
CNN —
Dejan Milojević, the assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors, passed away on Wednesday morning following a heart attack, the team announced. 46 was his age.
Milojević was a member of head coach Steve Kerr’s coaching staff for three seasons when he was hired by the Warriors in 2021.
According to the Warriors, Milojević had a heart attack on Tuesday night in Salt Lake City during a private team dinner. After that, he was taken to a nearby hospital, but the team reports that he died on Wednesday “despite life-saving efforts.”
Kerr released a statement saying, “We are absolutely devastated by Dejan’s sudden passing.”
For everyone connected to the Warriors, this is a shocking and tragic blow. His family, friends, and all of us who had the great pleasure of working with him are going through a very trying time.
“Dejan was not only an amazing basketball coach, but he was also one of the most optimistic and lovely people I have ever met. His enthusiasm and drive made every day brighter and happier.
We are in deep sorrow for his spouse, Natasa, as well as their two children, Masa and Nikola. Their loss is incomprehensible.
In a eulogy, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called Milojević “a beloved colleague and dear friend to so many in the global basketball community” and sent his condolences to the Warriors and his family.
Following Milojević’s untimely death, the NBA postponed the games scheduled for Wednesday between the Warriors and the Utah Jazz and Friday between Golden State and the Dallas Mavericks. The league stated that the new date would be announced “at a later time.”
“A superb representative of the game”
Darko Rajaković, the head coach of the Toronto Raptors, dedicated his team’s victory over the Miami Heat on Wednesday as a way to honor his countryman Milojević.
“Many NBA players experienced his hands and his influence,” Serbian-born Rajaković remarked.
“He assisted many individuals in taking their careers to the next level as a head coach. He was talking about the Serbian national team and his goal of leading the team as head coach one day when we last spent time together.
“And we were discussing plans and everything, and regrettably, he is no longer with us to discuss aspirations and objectives,” he continued.
On X (formerly known as Twitter), Andre Iguodala, who won four NBA titles with the Warriors, referred to Milojević as a “Amazing HUMAN BEING!” and Tom Thibodeau, the coach of the New York Knicks, stated that “He was a great ambassador to the game.”
The Los Angeles Lakers honored coach Milojević with a moment of silence before their game against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday. Players bowed their heads, and the team’s photo was shown on the arena’s large screen.
Prior to joining the Warriors, Milojević was the head coach of Budućnost VOLI in Montenegro.
