[ad_1]
Golden State Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojevic died Wednesday after suffering a medical emergency in Salt Lake City, Utah on Tuesday night, the team announced. He was 46 years old. Milojevic was hospitalized after suffering the emergency at a restaurant during a team dinner. The NBA has postponed Wednesday night’s originally scheduled game between the Warriors and Jazz.
“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.”
Milojevic, a native of Serbia, was added to the Warriors coaching staff in 2021 and helped the franchise win a championship in 2022. He played in Serbia, Spain, Montenegro, and Turkey during his 14-year professional career and was named the MVP of the Adriatic League three times (2004-06). He joined Kerr’s staff after coaching stints with Mega Vizura in Serbia and Buducnost in Montenegro, where he won the Montenegrin League Championship.
Milojevic made the most of the talent available to him during his time coaching overseas and helped establish a strong pipeline from Mega Vizura to the NBA. Eleven of the players Milojevic coached during his eight seasons with Mega Vizura went on to be selected in the NBA Draft. Among them were Nikola Jokic, Ivica Zubac, Goga Bitadze, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, and Vlatko Cancar.
“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,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “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.”
The game in Utah was set to be the last matchup on Golden State’s four-game road trip. The team is next scheduled to play at home against the Mavericks on Friday.
[ad_2]
Source link