Golden State Warriors Assistant Coach Dies of Heart Attack: Dejan Milojević Was 46
Dejan Milojević was part of the Golden State Warriors coaching staff for three seasons.
Dejan Milojević, an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors, died on Wednesday after suffering a medical emergency in Salt Lake City, Utah on Tuesday night, the team announced. He was 46 years old. The team revealed that Milojević suffered a heart attack during a private team dinner. The NBA postponed the Warriors' game against the Jazz on Wednesday night.
"We are absolutely devastated by Dejan's sudden passing," Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said in a statement. "This is a shocking and tragic blow for everyone associated with the Warriors and an incredibly difficult time for his family, friends, and all of us who had the incredible pleasure to work with him. In addition to being a terrific basketball coach, Dejan was one of the most positive and beautiful human beings I have ever known, someone who brought joy and light to every single day with his passion and energy. We grieve with and for his wife, Natasa, and their children, Nikola and Masa. Their loss is unfathomable."
Golden State Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojević died Wednesday after suffering a heart attack, the team announced. He was 46.
— ESPN (@espn) January 17, 2024
Milojević was hospitalized Tuesday night in Salt Lake City after suffering the heart attack during a private team dinner. https://t.co/cja8wEfnGS pic.twitter.com/z8F8mGPjEa
Milojević joined the Warriors coaching staff in 2021 and helped the team win an NBA Championship in 2022. Before joining the Warriors, Milojević was a head coach for the Serbian club Mega Basket and KK Budućnost which is located in Montenegro. He played professionally from 1994 to 2009, spending time in Serbia, Spain, Montenegro, and Turkey. Milojević won three consecutive MVP awards in the Adriatic League.
"I teach all my players that basketball is not a job but that they should enjoy the game," Milojević told Bosnian radio-television outlet RTV in 2018, per ESPN. "Because if you want to do something for the next 20 years, then you have to love it a lot. It's not easy to endure all these efforts if you don't like something. Only those who have a sincere love for the game can handle everything with great success."
In a statement, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said: "The NBA mourns the sudden passing of Golden State assistant coach Dejan Milojevic, a beloved colleague and dear friend to so many in the global basketball community. 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 had a decorated international playing career and was a distinguished head coach in his native Serbia. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his wife, Natasa, their children, Nikola and Masa, and the Warriors organization during this tragic time."