LOS ANGELES The basketball community is in mourning for Dejan Milojevic, a former professional player and assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors who passed away at the age of 46.
On Tuesday, Milojevic had an unexpected medical emergency while out to eat in Salt Lake City. The incident’s specifics have not been made public. The Warriors were in Utah at the time getting ready for a Wednesday night matchup with the Jazz.
The game has since been postponed in the wake of this unfortunate incident; a new date will be revealed at a later time.
Even though Milojevic was not chosen in the 1999 NBA Draft, he had an incredible career playing basketball in Europe. He distinguished himself by taking home the ABA scoring title in back-to-back seasons and won the ABA League MVP award three times in a row.
After declaring retirement from competitive play in 2009, Milojevic went into coaching. He was a coach in Serbia and Montenegro where he helped several players grow, such as Nikola Jokic, the two-time NBA MVP. The Serbian national team issued a statement stating that he was also their assistant coach.
The Serbian Basketball Federation issued a statement saying, “The Basketball Federation of Serbia received the news that our Dejan Milojevic left us too soon with great pain and sadness.”
Milojevic had an immediate impact upon joining the Golden State Warriors in 2021, frequently collaborating with the team’s frontcourt players. He helped the 2022 NBA Finals have a great run. Many who were influenced by him as a coach and competitor are in mourning following his unexpected death, which is a great loss for the basketball community.
