Dejan Milojević, an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors and a mentor to NBA star Nikola Jokic, died Wednesday after suffering a heart attack in Utah before his team was scheduled to play the Jazz. He was 46 years old.
Milojević was hospitalized after he suffered a heart attack on Tuesday night while at a team dinner in Salt Lake City. The Serbian-born coach died at the hospital Wednesday morning, NBC Sports reported. Milojević is survived by his wife Natasa and two children, Nikola and Masa.
“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.”
Milojević helped coach and mentor multiple NBA players, including two-time MVP Jokic, Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac, Orlando Magic center Goga Bitadze, and Houston Rockets center Boban Marjanovic, according to NBA.com. The 46-year-old coached for eight years in Europe before joining the Warriors staff, and he was also an assistant coach for the Serbian national team.
Before his coaching career began, Milojević was a star player in the Adriatic League where he won three straight MVP awards in 2004, 2005, and 2006. After joining the Warriors in 2021, Milojević was part of the team that went on to win the NBA championship in 2022. He was in his third season as a Warriors assistant coach.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called Milojević “a beloved colleague and dear friend to so many in the global basketball community.”
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“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,” Silver added. “Our heartfelt condolences go out to his wife, Natasa, their children, Nikola and Masa, and the Warriors organization during this tragic time.”
Dallas Mavericks star point guard Luka Doncic also posted a tribute to Milojević, simply writing, “Rest in peace deki! 💔💔💔”
Pocivaj u miru deki! 💔💔💔 pic.twitter.com/bdEFpijm8e
— Luka Doncic (@luka7doncic) January 17, 2024
The Warriors’ next two games, one against the Jazz and another against the Mavericks, were postponed following the coach’s death.