Golden State Warriors Assistant Coach Dejan Milojević has died at the age of 46

Dejan Milojević, an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors, died at 46 after a heart attack.

Milojevic, who helped his club win the NBA title in 2022, was hospitalized in Salt Lake City on Jan. 16 after having a heart attack during a private team dinner, according to a Golden State Warriors statement on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“We are absolutely devastated by Dejan’s sudden passing,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said in a statement. “This is a surprising and tragic blow for everyone involved with the Warriors, as well as a very difficult moment for his family, friends, and all of us who had the tremendous pleasure of working with him. In addition to being an excellent basketball coach, Dejan was one of the most cheerful and lovely people I’ve ever met, bringing pleasure and light into every day with his enthusiasm and energy.”

Kerr continued, “We mourn with and for his wife, Natasa, and their two children, Nikola and Masa. Their loss is unimaginable.

After Milojević’s death, the NBA postponed the Warriors’ Jan. 17 game against the Utah Jazz.

“The NBA mourns the sudden passing of Golden State assistant coach Dejan Milojević, a beloved colleague and dear friend to so many in the global basketball community,” said NBA commissioner Adam Silver. “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.”

Gold went on to say, “Our heartfelt condolences go out to his wife, Natasa, their children, Nikola and Masa, and the Warriors organization during this tragic time.”

Milojević, who joined the Warriors as an assistant coach in 2021, started his professional basketball career as a player in the 1990s. He played for 14 years on teams in Serbia and Europe. He was voted Adriatic League MVP three times.

In 2012, Milojević became head coach for pro basketball teams in Serbia and Montenegro. Several players he coached with later became NBA players, notably Denver Nuggets center and league MVP Nikola Jokić.

“Rest in peace!” the fellow Serbian native said on Instagram, accompanied with a photo of the two. “Condolences to the family!”