Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojević dies after suffering heart attack in Salt Lake City
SALT LAKE CITY — Golden State Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojević died late Wednesday morning at a Salt Lake City hospital after suffering a heart attack Tuesday night, the team confirmed.
The Warriors' PR social media account posted the update on X at around 12:24 p.m., saying he had died late Wednesday morning.
"We are absolutely devastated by Dejan's sudden passing," said Warriors Head 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, 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."
The team had reported Wednesday that Milojević was hospitalized in Salt Lake City after suffering a medical emergency on Tuesday night.
The seriousness of the situation led the NBA to postpone Wednesday's game between the Warriors and the Utah Jazz. The league did not immediately announce a rescheduled date.
The Warriors did not initially reveal the nature of the emergency, other than that Milojević was stricken during a private team dinner. Numerous media outlets in Europe, including from Milojević's native Serbia, reported that it was a cardiac-related matter.
The 46-year-old Milojević is in his third season with the Warriors and was part of the group that helped Golden State win the 2022 NBA championship. He previously coached in Serbia — where he once worked with a young Nikola Jokic before the now-Denver star and two-time NBA MVP came to the United States — along with Montenegro, plus is a past assistant coach for the Serbian national team.
He had prior NBA experience through Summer League stints with Atlanta, San Antonio and Houston. Milojević spent 14 years as a player and was a three-time MVP of the Adriatic League.
The Jazz said tickets for Wednesday's game would be honored for the rescheduled date to be announced.
