Warriors tribute 'Deki' in first game back on court
SAN FRANCISCO - The Golden State Warriors are back on the court after the death of assistant coach Dejan "Deki" Milojević. A ceremony at Chase Center preceded the game, honoring the late coach.
The Warriors also wore patches bearing "DM," Deki's initials, on their jerseys and will wear the patches for the rest of the season.
A drape bearing the words "Brate" was seen placed where Milojević would be sitting during the game. Brate translates to "brother" in Serbian. Players from both teams wore "Brate" shirts before the game.
Milojević died Jan. 17 from a heart attack when he was dining with the players before their game against the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City the night before.
He is survived by his wife Natasa and his children, Nikola and Masa.
The game against the Dallas Mavericks, scheduled for the Friday before, has been rescheduled.
The Mavericks showed support for Golden State, tweeting they were thinking about the team, as well as the Atlanta Hawks, the Warriors' opponent for Wednesday night's game.
The 46-year-old's unexpected death shocked the basketball world.
Milojević was a Serbia native and in his third season with the Warriors. In previous years, he worked with the Hawks, San Antonio Spurs, and Houston Rockets.
BELGRADE, SERBIA-MONTENEGRO: Filip Masiulis (L) of Prokom Trefl Sopot fights for ball with Dejan Milojevic (R) of Partizan Belgrade during their Euroleague group A match in Belgrade, 03 November 2004. AFP PHOTO / KOCA SULEJMANOVIC (Photo credit shoul
He played professionally in Europe for 14 years, including for the Montenegro national team, leading the 2021 season as the head coach of KK Budućnost.
In a tribute before the Warriors-Hawks game, head coach Steve Kerr shared a tribute, calling Milojević a "wonderful soul" that the world lost.
"The laughter, it was ever-present. And what he meant to us…he's a part of our souls," Kerr said.
"I will forever remember [Milojević] for the joy he brought to this team, to this city," said Klay Thompson, shooting guard for the Warriors.
Several Warriors players were seen becoming emotional during the ceremony.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 24: The Golden State Warriors honor assistant coach Dejan Milojevic during a ceremony before their game against the Atlanta Hawks on January 24, 2024 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. Dejan Milojevic di
The Serbian National Anthem was also played before the Warriors game.
Instead of a moment of silence, the audience gave Milojević a standing ovation that "he [could] hear from heaven." Additionally, after Steph Curry's first "bucket" of the night, he pointed to the sky.
His wife and kids were in attendance, sitting behind Milojević's bench.
The Warriors beat the Hawks, 134-112, in Wednesday night's game.
KTVU reporter Jana Katsuyama contributed to this report.