By Lauren Merola, Anthony Slater and John Hollinger
The Golden State Warriors returned to the courtroom Wednesday for the primary time since beloved assistant coach Dejan Milojević died all of a sudden from a coronary heart assault suffered at a workforce dinner in downtown Salt Lake Metropolis final week. Earlier than the sport, the workforce honored the person who “embodied the spirit and values” of Golden State, Warriors coach Steve Kerr mentioned Monday.
In lieu of a second of silence, the Warriors opted for a second of celebration for Milojević, generally identified all through the NBA as “Deki.”
“I’d like for all of us to offer Deki an ovation that he can hear up in heaven,” Kerr mentioned pregame earlier than permitting the gang, organizations and Milojević’s household to erupt in a standing ovation for Milojević at Chase Heart.
After the workforce flew again from Salt Lake Metropolis per week in the past, mourning its “brate” — the Serbian phrase for “brother” that Kerr mentioned Milojević known as folks throughout the group — basketball trailed even that of an afterthought. So when the Warriors revisited the courtroom Monday for his or her first follow after Milojević’s demise, Kerr mentioned the one method ahead is with a mindset solid by Milojević himself.
“You motherf—— must go win a basketball sport,” Kerr mentioned, reciting what he and assistant Ron Adams thought Milojević’s recommendation to the workforce could be at such a time.
![go-deeper](https://cdn.theathletic.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=128,height=128,fit=cover,format=auto/app/uploads/2024/01/23090209/GettyImages-1831289684-1024x683.jpg)
GO DEEPER
As Warriors mourn a horrible loss, Steve Kerr’s management lights a tough street forward
So earlier than the Warriors took the courtroom in opposition to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, to try to just do that, they performed each the Serbian nationwide anthem and United States nationwide anthem whereas Milojević’s spouse and two children sat with Zaza Pachulia in Warriors common supervisor Mike Dunleavy’s seats behind the workforce’s bench. Pachulia, a fellow Japanese European, rejoined the Warriors group in 2019 in a front-office position.
“The world misplaced a ravishing soul final week,” Kerr mentioned pregame. “Deki was a beautiful good friend, a hell of a basketball coach, a fantastic man and most significantly a ravishing grandson, son, husband and father. … The smile, the enjoyment, the laughter, it was ever current. What he meant to us was an enormous a part of who we’re. He’s part of our soul.”
Steve Kerr with some highly effective phrases about Dejan Milojević 💛 pic.twitter.com/xTS0aB55do
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) January 25, 2024
Milojević’s seat on the bench was coated within the “BRATE” shirts Golden State had made, accompanied by a white rose. The Warriors despatched the identical shirts to groups throughout the NBA “so all of the individuals who knew him and beloved him” would have a shirt to honor Milojević, Kerr mentioned Monday. Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Dončić warmed up within the shirt earlier than the workforce’s matchup with the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday.
Steph Curry arrived at Chase Heart sporting “BRATE” earlier than each Warriors participant warmed up within the threads.
Perpetually with us, Deki. pic.twitter.com/TexNfiUEMc
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) January 25, 2024
The Warriors will put on a “DM” patch on their uniforms for the rest of the season and the identical emblem may also seem on the Chase Heart courtroom apron for all remaining dwelling video games this season.
Milojević was in his third season as an assistant coach for the Warriors, primarily tasked with working with bigs. Whereas Milojević was the top coach of Mega Basket in Serbia from 2012 to 2020, 11 of his gamers have been drafted and 5 made the abroad leap: Nikola Jokić, Ivica Zubac, Goga Bitadze, Vlatko Čančar and Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot.
Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanović, who Milojević served as an early mentor for, was emotional when introduced throughout beginning lineups after which wrapped up by teammates.
“Like everybody else in Serbia, we couldn’t imagine the information as a result of that man was a beast,” Bogdanović mentioned this week. “And all the time constructive … should you complain to him, he was by no means the man to complain first, however should you complain to him he would say, ‘Simply snicker man, you solely reside as soon as.’ Simply seeing how a lot impression he had on loads of gamers, folks all over the world, one factor that I’ll by no means, always remember, he by no means chased a profession. He was a fantastic participant, he by no means chased his profession, he all the time needed to reside a household way of life along with his children in good cities, he by no means chased cash. I really feel that’s a fantastic instance for everybody to reside their life, his saying was he believed that should you don’t like your life, there was no method you may maximize your potential in your job.”
Each Bogdanović’s Hawks and Curry’s Warriors will now attempt to fulfill Milojević’s supposed want: They’ll go try to win a basketball sport.
Required studying
(Photograph: Noah Graham / NBAE by way of Getty Photos)