Published By: Sports Desk
Last Updated: February 13, 2024, 00:01 IST
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Golden State assistant coach Dejan Milojevic was buried Monday in his native Serbia, with many members of the Warriors’ workers among the many tons of of mourners current for the funeral on a wet day at a Belgrade cemetery.
BELGRADE, Serbia: Golden State assistant coach Dejan Milojevic was buried Monday in his native Serbia, with many members of the Warriors’ workers among the many tons of of mourners current for the funeral on a wet day at a Belgrade cemetery.
Among the Warriors coaches and workers who made the journey: head coach Steve Kerr, assistant coaches Chris DeMarco and Ron Adams, basic supervisor Mike Dunleavy, group basketball and enterprise liaison Zaza Pachulia, and group vice chairman for participant well being and efficiency Rick Celebrini.
Kerr and people staffers who attended the funeral will miss Monday evening’s rescheduled sport at Utah. The Warriors have been in Salt Lake City when the 46-12 months-outdated Milojevic had a coronary heart assault at a group dinner on Jan. 16. He died the following day, and that evening’s Jazz-Warriors sport was postponed.
Assistant coach Kenny Atkinson will act as head coach for the rescheduled sport.
Milojevic — whose flower-draped casket was carried Monday by his former Serbian teammates — was a mentor to 2-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, amongst many different gamers. Milojevic was a part of the workers that helped the Warriors win the 2022 NBA championship.
The Warriors have honored his reminiscence by placing his initials on their jerseys and on the apron of their residence ground.
Milojevic’s demise triggered a large outpouring of sympathy from the basketball neighborhood and followers in his homeland, the place he was a star participant with Partizan Belgrade and different golf equipment in Serbia, Montenegro, Turkey and Spain earlier than turning to teaching.
Predrag Danilovic, president of the Serbian Basketball Federation, mentioned there was no one that didn’t respect and love Milojevic.
“A great basketball player, great coach left us, and above all a great man, a man without a single stain. I had that honor and pleasure to be friends with him even though we did not play together,” Danilovic mentioned at a proper commemoration for Milojevic on Saturday.
Marko Keselj of Serbia’s Ministry of Sports and a former basketball participant mentioned the game was Milojevic’s life.
“With his positive energy he brought out the best in us,” Keselj mentioned. “He motivated us to be better in every way, as people and as players. Deki was a friend, mentor, he was a leader.”
Milojevic was in his third season with the Warriors. He beforehand coached in Serbia — the place he as soon as labored with a younger Jokic earlier than the present Denver star got here to the United States — together with Montenegro, plus had been an assistant coach for the Serbian nationwide group alongside present Atlanta assistant Igor Koskoskov.
Milojevic labored intently with Jokic, Los Angeles Clippers heart Ivica Zubac, Orlando heart Goga Bitadze and Houston heart Boban Marjanovic, amongst others, throughout his time as a coach in Europe.
Milojevic gained three consecutive MVP awards within the Adriatic League, which contains groups from former Yugoslavia, taking these trophies in 2004, 2005 and 2006 when the 6-foot-7, 240-pound energy ahead was on the peak of his enjoying profession. Jokic was MVP of that league in 2015.
Before becoming a member of the Warriors, Milojevic had NBA expertise by means of Summer League assistant coach stints with Atlanta, San Antonio and Houston.
Milojevic is survived by his spouse, Natasa, and their youngsters, Nikola and Masa.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 workers and is printed from a syndicated information company feed – Associated Press)
