“Rest in Peace”: Warriors Fans Mourn Former NBA Champ’s Death as Nikola Jokic’s Ex-Mentor Passes Away

The basketball community is in grief following the tragic death of Dejan Milojević, a former player and assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors. Following this, the NBA decided to postpone the Golden State Warriors game against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night. Dejan Milojević suffered from a heart attack at a restaurant in Salt Lake City.

Both players and coaching staff members were present when Milojevic’s health crisis happened, and the Warriors’ staff stayed with him as long as possible on Tuesday night, returning Wednesday morning. He was even rushed to the hospital later in a critical state, but unfortunately, he passed away, leaving a void in the basketball world, depriving it of an athlete and coach who was recognized for his abilities both on and off the floor.

Milojevic’s coaching legacy is permanent on the Serbian basketball landscape. Notably, he was the head coach of Mega Basket in the Adriatic Basketball Association, while Nikola Jokic, the NBA MVP and champion, was still in his early phases of development. Milojevic and Jokic have a strong bond that reflects the mentorship and unity built over their time together, emphasizing the Serbian coach’s profound connection with the basketball superstar.

However, Milojevic’s career took a huge step upward when he joined the Golden State Warriors as an assistant coach. His talents were critical to the team’s success, which resulted in the NBA Championship in 2021-22. But before becoming a coach, he had a successful playing career where he played for prestigious clubs like Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade, Buducnost, and Galatasaray EKMAS Istanbul. Because of his tremendous talent, he earned three straight ABA League MVP awards and was named to the All-Europe Second Team in 2004.

Not only in the league but even in the international scene, Milojevic passionately led his national team, helping them win the EuroBasket championship in 2001 and finishing ninth in EuroBasket 2005. So his passing is not only a major loss for the sport but also for the fans.

Fans cannot fathom the fact that Milojević is no more

As this news broke out, the NBA community was shocked to the core. After all, he’s had a major impact on the NBA world, and his contributions to the GSW franchise earned a massive fan base for him. Due to the positive influence he had on the NBA community, tributes are coming in from fans, teammates, and coworkers that demonstrate his effect on the sport and the people he touched during his incredible career.

A fan took to social media and wrote,

Another fan was in complete shock after listening to the tragic news and wrote,

Another fan shared his condolences to the coach’s family and said,

The news very much disturbed another Dubs fan, who writes:

As the basketball community mourns the passing of a great legend, Dejan Milojević’s legacy will live on through memories of his remarkable contributions to the sport he loved.