Golden State Warriors will have Dejan Milojevic’s initials on their jerseys and court for the rest of the season in tribute to the Serbian coach after his shock death last week

Golden State Warriors will have Dejan Milojevic's initials on their jerseys and court for the rest of the season in tribute to the Serbian coach after his shock death last week

Most watched Sport videos

The Golden State Warriors will wear ‘DM’ patches on their jerseys for the rest of the NBA season as a tribute to coach Dejan Milojevic, who tragically died last week.

The Serbian ᴀssistant coach suffered a heart attack while dining in Salt Lake City with his fellow Warriors coaches and some players before the game against the Jazz.

The incident occurred at Valter’s Osteria, a popular Italian eatery frequented by NBA teams, and the Warriors had two games postponed in the days after the incident.

Milojevic, 46, was part of the coaching staff that helped the Warriors win the 2022 NBA championship.

As a tribute, Steve Kerr’s team will also have ‘DM’ painted on the court for all remaining home games at the Chase Center.

The Warriors will have Dejan Milojevic's initials on their jerseys and court for rest of the season

The Warriors will have Dejan Milojevic’s initials on their jerseys and court for rest of the season

Their jerseys will have 'DM' in a heart shape for the rest of the season in tribute to their coach

Their jerseys will have ‘DM’ in a heart shape for the rest of the season in tribute to their coach

‘It’s hard to describe the week – heartbreaking, devastating,’ Kerr told reporters on Monday as he wore a shirt which read ‘BROTHER’ in Serbian. ‘It’s just the saddest thing I’ve ever been a part of in the NBA.   

‘Where we lose someone who’s so close to us and then more importantly, seeing his family suffer. So this last week has been… full of all of the above. The shock, the emotion, the extreme outpouring of love from all over the world.

‘He was just a guy who constantly saw the good in people and the joy in life… when you’re coming into a season that goes from seven to nine months, that’s exactly the kind of person I wanna be with every day,’ Kerr later added of Milojevic.

‘We got a better sense of just what Deki meant to his countrymen,’ Kerr said.

Toronto Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic, who is also Serbian, dedicated his team’s win last Wednesday to his late friend. 

And reigning NBA champion Nikola Jokic also paid tribute to Milojevic, posting a picture of himself with the coach, writing: ‘Deki, rest in peace! Condolences to the family!’

Kerr, who lost his own father when he was 18 years old, said he understood what Milojevic’s children, Nikola and Masa, were going through.

The Serbian ᴀssistant coach suffered a heart attack in Salt Lake City while dining with coaches

The Serbian ᴀssistant coach suffered a heart attack in Salt Lake City while dining with coaches

‘It’s kind of crazy but Friday was the 40th anniversary of my dad’s death,’ he told reporters.

Kerr added that ‘Deki had an amazing way of being very direct and honest without threatening anyone. Sometimes those coaches meetings can get contentious… he always just had a gleam in his eye and a laugh even when he was challenging us – especially when he was challenging the rest of the group.’

Warriors big man Kevon Looney also said, ‘His English wasn’t always the best so he didn’t know how to sugarcoat anything. Anytime I wasn’t being aggressive, I wasn’t rebounding or boxing out — it’s a cuss word, but he said “Don’t be soft.”

‘I would always tell him, “You’re the only person I let talk to me like that”.’

Kerr also thanked NBA commissioner Adam Silver for postponing two of the Warriors’ games last week following Milojevic’s death.

‘There’s no way any of us could have walked out onto a court and played a basketball game,’ he said.

The Warriors’ next game is vs. the Hawks on Wednesday. 

Related Posts

BREAKING NEWSFive stars and two coaches ejected from Pistons-Timberwolves as insane mᴀss brawl spills into stands

BREAKING NEWSFive stars and two coaches ejected from Pistons-Timberwolves as insane mᴀss brawl spills into stands

Chaos broke out during Sunday’s NBA game between the Detroit Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves leaving the heated matchup in disarray.  In shocking scenes, five players and two…

LeBron James goes viral for his FEET – as a shocking old picture of his toes resurfaces… amid claims he spends ,000 A YEAR on keeping them in shape for the demands of the NBA

LeBron James goes viral for his FEET – as a shocking old picture of his toes resurfaces… amid claims he spends $84,000 A YEAR on keeping them in shape for the demands of the NBA

Most watched Sport videos LeBron James has gone viral on social media – but not for any heroics on the court with Los Angeles Lakers. The all-time…

MAGA-hating NBA owner Mark Cuban fires back at former employee calling for him to ‘be run out of Dallas’

MAGA-hating NBA owner Mark Cuban fires back at former employee calling for him to ‘be run out of Dallas’

Dallas Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban is facing calls from his own former employees to flee the Texas city following recent controversy.  The NBA organization recently descended…

Fans are convinced they’ve found Travis Kelce’s long lost brother in the NBA: ‘He has to be’

Fans are convinced they’ve found Travis Kelce’s long lost brother in the NBA: ‘He has to be’

Fans have been left in disbelief on social media after stumbling upon a mind-blowing Travis Kelce doppelganger in the NBA.  One user on TikTok shared a clip from…

LeBron James ‘was sending a message by putting a Knicks towel on his shoulders’, claims NBA insider… as rumors continue to swirl around the 39-year-old’s future with the Lakers

LeBron James ‘was sending a message by putting a Knicks towel on his shoulders’, claims NBA insider… as rumors continue to swirl around the 39-year-old’s future with the Lakers

Most watched Sport videos At least one NBA insider believes that Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James was trying to send a message by wearing a New…

Playoff-bound Memphis Grizzlies fire head coach Taylor Jenkins in stunning move with nine games to go

Playoff-bound Memphis Grizzlies fire head coach Taylor Jenkins in stunning move with nine games to go

The Memphis Grizzlies have made the shock decision to part ways with head coach Taylor Jenkins after six seasons, despite the team being playoff-bound in the NBA….