Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojevic dies aged 46 after suffering heart attack while 6ft 7 former Serbian basketball star dined with Golden State coaches and players at a Salt Lake City restaurant
- One Serbian newspaper reports that Dejan Milojevic has had a heart attack
- The NBA postponed Wednesday’s game after news of the incident surfaced
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
Golden State Warriors assistant coach and former Serbian basketball star Dejan Milojevic has died at the age of 46 after suffering a heart attack in Salt Lake City.
“We are absolutely devastated by the sudden passing of Dejan,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said in a statement. “This is a shocking and tragic blow to everyone involved with the Warriors and an incredibly difficult time for his family, friends and all of us who had the incredible pleasure of working with him.”
Milojevic, a retired 6-foot-1 power forward, is survived by a wife and two children.
“In addition to being a great basketball coach, Dejan was one of the most positive and beautiful people I have ever known, someone who brought joy and light to every day with his passion and energy,” Kerr continued. ‘We mourn with and for his wife Natasa and their children Nikola and Masa. Their loss is unfathomable.”
Milojevic was hospitalized Tuesday after suffering a sudden and serious health problem at Valter’s Osteria, a popular Italian restaurant frequented by visiting NBA players and coaches. One employee described the scene to DailyMail.com as ‘quite shocking’.
Assistant coach Dejan Milojevic and Kevon Looney are seen on the Warriors’ bench
Steve Kerr (holding the ball) and his staff were reportedly hospitalized in Salt Lake City after Dejan Milojevic (back row, center right) suffered a medical emergency at a restaurant
Milojevic is seen with his former student Nikola Jokic after a 2022 play-off match
The incident took place at Valter’s Osteria, a popular Italian eatery often frequented by NBA teams
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Warriors coaches spent the night with Milojevic in the hospital and returned to be with him on Wednesday.
The team was scheduled to play the Jazz in Salt Lake City on Wednesday night until the NBA announced the postponement. No makeup date has been set.
Spokespeople for the Salt Lake City Fire Department did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com’s request for more information.
Milojevic, a 6-foot-2 retired power forward, was a star on the Serbian national team from 1994 to 2009, while winning three consecutive Adriatic League Most Valuable Player Awards from 2004 to 2006. He also played professionally in Serbia, Montenegro, Turkey, and Spain before becoming a coach.
Before becoming an assistant with the Warriors, Milojevic was the head coach for Mega Basket of the Adriatic Basketball Association.
With the Belgrade team, Milojevic teamed up with a young Nikola Jokic, who was on his way to NBA stardom, two MVP awards and a league title at the end of the 2022-2023 season.
Milojevic went on to coach in Montenegro in 2021 before accepting the assistant position on Kerr’s staff.
He was in his third season with the team after winning an NBA title with the Warriors at the end of the 2021-2022 season.