Dejan Milojević, an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors, unexpectedly passed away on Wednesday, January 17, in Salt Lake City, Utah, at age 46.
The Serbian native experienced a sudden heart attack during a private Warriors team dinner on Tuesday evening, January 16, leading to his hospitalization.
The Warriors were initially slated to face the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night at the Delta Center, but the NBA decided to postpone the game following the medical emergency of the decorated assistant coach, which eventually led to his passing. The league has yet to announce a new date for the game.
The team expressed their condolences on social media to Milojevic's wife, Natasha, and their two children, Nikola and Masa.
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Dejan Milojević's playing career
Milojevic had an outstanding 15-year career as a player in Europe, playing for various teams across the continent. He is best known for his stints with Montenegrin team Budućnost, Serbian team Partizan, Spanish team Pamesa Valencia, and Turkish team Galatasaray.
The 6-foot-8 power forward earned the prestigious title of ABA League MVP three times, the highest individual professional league honor in Serbia, achieving this remarkable feat consecutively from 2004 to 2006. He also led the league in scoring in 2005 and 2006.
Dejan Milojević's role with the Golden State Warriors
Milojević accepted his first NBA coaching role with the Golden State Warriors ahead of the 2021-22 season. His primary responsibilities included working with players positioned closer to the basket in roles such as stretch four, power forward, forward-center, and center.
As part of his responsibilities, Milojević initially concentrated on developing the team's recently drafted young center, James Wiseman, along with veterans Draymond Green and Kevon Looney.
Looney ended up working the most with Milojevic due to Wiseman's injuries, and his performance, particularly his rebounding, drastically improved that season.
Milojevic won his first NBA Championship in 2022 after the Dubs defeated the Boston Celtics in the Finals, 4-2.
Dejan Milojević's role in developing Nikola Jokic
Milojevic's first known head coaching role was with the Serbian team Mega Basket, where he served from 2012 to 2020.
On the other hand, during the early stages of his professional career, the current reigning NBA Finals MVP, Nikola Jokic, was part of Mega Basket from 2012 to 2015, with Milojević serving as his head coach throughout the entirety of the Nuggets star's tenure with the team.
The two were spotted catching up before a Warriors-Nuggets game in October 2022.
In his European coaching career, Milojević also mentored notable players such as Clippers center Ivica Zubac, Orlando Magic center Goga Bitadze, and Houston Rockets center Boban Marjanovic.
The seasoned coach expressed his pride in Jokic and Zubac's battles at the NBA level during an interview in 2020.
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