The Golden State Warriors are mourning the loss of assistant coach Dejan Milojević, who died Wednesday. He was 46.
According to a post from the Bay Area NBA team, Milojević -- who helped carry the team to its 2022 NBA championship win -- died in Salt Lake City, Utah, after suffering a heart attack during a private team dinner.
"We are absolutely devastated by Dejan's sudden passing," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said in a 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."
Milojević was in his third season with the Warriors as an assistant coach. Before joining the NBA team, he worked as the head coach of KK Budućnost in the Adriatic League in Montenegro and as head coach for KK Mega Basket in Belgrade, Serbia, where he was from.
In 2019, Milojević served as an assistant coach for the Serbian national team. He also played for 14 years internationally and was named the Adriatic League Most Valuable Player three times throughout his career.
The assistant coach's job with the Warriors was not his first in the NBA, as he previously worked with the Atlanta Hawks, San Antonio Spurs and the Houston Rockets.
"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," Kerr said.
Milojević leaves behind a wife, Natasa, and two children, Nikola and Masa.
"We grieve with and for his wife, Natasa, and their children, Nikola and Masa. Their loss is unfathomable," Kerr said.
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