Warriors found what kills Dejan Milojević, today…
FILE – Golden State Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojevic passes the ball before an NBA basketball game against the New Orleans Pelicans Tuesday, March 28, 2023, in San Francisco. Golden State Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojević has been hospitalized in Salt Lake City after suffering a medical emergency on Tuesday night, the team said Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024. The seriousness of the situation led the NBA to postpone Wednesday’s game between the Warriors and the Utah Jazz.(Darren Yamashita | AP Photo/Darren Yamashita, File)
AP) – Golden State Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojević, a mentor to two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and a former star player in his native Serbia, died Wednesday in Utah after suffering a heart attack, the team announced. Milojević, part of the staff that helped the Warriors win the 2022 NBA championship, was 46.
Milojević died in Salt Lake City, where he was hospitalized Tuesday night after the medical emergency happened during a private team dinner. The Warriors had been scheduled to play the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night, a game the NBA postponed.
“We are absolutely devastated by Dejan’s sudden passing,” coach Steve Kerr said in a statement released by the team. “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.”
Milojević’s death elicited a massive and immediate outpouring of sympathy from the basketball community, and moments of silence were held Wednesday before NBA games. Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra called the news “horrific.” Atlanta forward Bogdan Bogdanovic — a Serbian, like Milojević — politely declined comment Wednesday before the Hawks’ game, saying “I’m sorry. I can’t talk about it right now. I feel so bad,” while tapping his chest. San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich raved about how good a coach Milojević was.
