Golden State Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojevic died of a heart attack at 46, the team announced Wednesday afternoon, hours after the NBA postponed Wednesday’s scheduled game between the Warriors and Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City because of what had been described as a medical emergency.
Milojevic was hospitalized Tuesday night after suffering the emergency during a “private team dinner,” according to an initial statement from the Warriors on Wednesday morning. A subsequent statement said Milojevic died Wednesday “despite life-saving efforts.”
“We are absolutely devastated by Dejan’s sudden passing,” Warriors Coach Steve Kerr said in the 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.”
Milojevic, a native of Serbia, played professionally for 15 seasons in several European countries, including Spain and Turkey. Following his 2009 retirement as a player, Milojevic began coaching in Serbia and eventually joined Kerr’s staff in 2021.
Because of his experience as a post player, the 6-foot-7 Milojevic was hired to help coach Golden State’s big men, including 2020 lottery pick James Wiseman and center Kevon Looney.
The NBA has not yet rescheduled the game between the Warriors and Jazz, and the league announced Thursday morning that it had also postponed Friday night’s scheduled game between the Warriors and Dallas Mavericks in San Francisco. Before the coronavirus pandemic, postponements were extraordinarily rare and usually the product of inclement weather or tragedy. The NBA postponed a Los Angeles Lakers game in January 2020 following Kobe Bryant’s death.
“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,” Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement.