Golden State Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojevic dies aged 46

The Golden State Warriors announced on Wednesday that Dejan Milojevic, an assistant coach, has passed away at the age of 46. The NBA club shared the unfortunate news after the Belgrade-born coach had been hospitalized due to a heart attack he experienced during a team dinner.

Milojevic, who had been serving as an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors for three seasons, tragically passed away, leaving the team and everyone associated with it devastated. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr expressed his shock and sorrow, acknowledging the difficult time that Milojevic's family, friends, and colleagues are going through.

Aside from his coaching abilities, Milojevic was known for his positive and radiant personality, bringing joy and enthusiasm to each day. He was described as one of the most remarkable individuals Kerr had ever known.

The Warriors revealed that Milojevic had suffered a heart attack during a private team dinner in Salt Lake City and was immediately taken to a hospital. Despite the efforts to save his life, he sadly passed away on Wednesday morning.

As a result of this tragic event, the NBA announced the postponement of the Warriors' game against the Utah Jazz, citing a "medical emergency in the Warriors family." A new date for the game will be announced in due course.

The Utah Jazz, along with other NBA teams, expressed their condolences and recognized Milojevic as a highly respected and beloved member of the NBA family.

Prior to joining the Warriors, Dejan Milojevic served as the head coach of Buducnost in the Adriatic League in Montenegro during the 2021 season. Before that, he held the position of head coach for Mega Basket in Belgrade, Serbia, for a span of eight seasons.

In December 2019, Milojevic was appointed as an assistant coach for the Serbian national team, working alongside Igor Kokoskov.

Milojevic also had a remarkable 14-year international playing career, earning the title of the Adriatic League Most Valuable Player three times consecutively from 2004 to 2006.

Expressing his condolences, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued a statement on the untimely passing of Dejan Milojevic.

"The NBA community deeply mourns the sudden loss of Dejan Milojevic, an esteemed colleague and cherished friend to many across the global basketball landscape," stated Silver.

"In addition to his remarkable achievement of winning the 2022 NBA championship in his inaugural season with the Warriors and his invaluable mentorship to some of the world's finest players, Dejan possessed an illustrious international playing career and was a highly respected head coach in his home country of Serbia."