Photo:AP Photo/Jeff Chiu
AP Photo/Jeff Chiu
Golden State Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojević has died. He was 46.
The longtime coach and former player died at a Salt Lake City area hospital Wednesday morningafter suffering a heart attack on Tuesday nightwhile Golden State was at a private dinner ahead of their game against the Utah Jazz,the Warriors said in a statement posted on X.
Kerr continued, “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.”
Milojević was in his third season as an assistant coach with the Warriors after helping the team win the 2022 NBA championship.
Prior to the Warriors, Milojević was the head coach KK Budućnost in the Adriatic League in Montenegro, and previously he had been the head coach for KK Mega Basket in Belgrade, Serbia, for eight seasons,according to the Warriors media guide.
A former assistant coach for the Serbian national team, he also had experience on NBA Summer League staffs with the Atlanta Hawks, San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets.
Milojević, who enjoyed a 14-year international playing career, also coached two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic in his formative years,the Associated Press reported.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
On Wednesday morning, prior to the announcement of Milojević’s death,the NBA saidthat it would be postponing the game in light of the issue affecting the “Warriors family,” and it would announce a new date for the game at a later time.
source: people.com
