Nikola Vučević will remember Dejan Milojević for his positive attitude.
The Chicago Bulls center only met Milojević in person when he became an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors in 2021. However, Vučević grew up with Milojević as an important figure in his basketball education, first as a player and then as a coach and mentor to the next generation of Serbian stars.
Milojević passed away. at age 46 He suffered a heart attack during a team dinner on Tuesday night in Salt Lake City. The NBA postponed the Warriors’ games against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday and the Dallas Mavericks on Friday to allow the team proper time to mourn.
For Vučević, Milojević leaves a legacy of playing, coaching, and leading with a positive energy that was evident to those who encountered him.
"He just has a great energy," Vučević said on Thursday. "I felt like I'd known him for a long time. It’s such a tragic loss for basketball, especially back home."
Milojević played from 1994 to 2009 and was a three-time MVP of the Adriatic Basketball Association, the top league in the former Yugoslavian republics. He represented Serbia and Slovenia internationally and won a gold medal with Serbia at the 2001 EuroBasket tournament.
Vučević described the respect that Milojević earned by excelling despite his 6-foot-7 height as an undersized big man, outmuscling taller players to dominate the Euroleague on the boards.
"He was a huge competitor," Vučević said. "He played really hard and was able to compensate for his size with his intelligence and effort."
After retiring as a player, Milojević became a well-known coach in Serbia, particularly for his mentorship of two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić. He took over as coach of Mega Vizura in 2012 and sent 11 players to the NBA draft over the next eight seasons before joining Steve Kerr’s Warriors staff. He also served as an assistant coach for the Serbian national team from 2019-21.
Vučević mentioned reaching out to Jokić, as well as Oklahoma City Thunder guard Vasilije Micić and Miami Heat forward Nikola Jović, who also knew Milojević from Mega, to check in on them on Wednesday.
"I know a lot of them are hurting a lot," Vučević said. "I know it’s not easy. It really affected many of the younger guys who came up with him deeply."
Milojević’s death had a somber impact on the Bulls’ 116-110 victory against the Toronto Raptors on Thursday. The Raptors' head coach, Darko Rajaković, was a longtime friend of Milojević.
Rajaković fought back tears before and after Wednesday’s game against the Heat while talking about Milojević’s influence on Serbian basketball. He designed an after-timeout play in the first quarter that he affectionately referred to as being "stolen" from his friend.
"I’ve known Dejan since I was a teenager," Rajaković told reporters. "He was a role model as a player, as a man, as a husband, as a coach — someone that I really admired and have a lot of respect for. This is a really sad day for the entire NBA community."
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