Golden State Warriors get emotional as a tribute video was played for the late Dejan Milojevic on Wednesday, January 24, during their match with Atlanta Hawks.
After a hiatus of nine days, the Golden State Warriors resumed playing on Wednesday, securing a victory against the Atlanta Hawks with a score of 134-112. The team faced a disruption in their schedule when assistant coach Dejan Milojevic suffered a heart attack and passed away, leading to the postponement of two games last week.
During their recent game, all Warriors players donned black shirts bearing the Serbian word “brate,” translating to “brother” in English. Additionally, the team introduced a new jersey patch that will be worn for the remainder of the season, featuring Milojević’s initials enclosed within a heart as a tribute.
At Chase Center, a tribute video played on the large screen, featuring numerous photos of the radiant “Deki,” a nickname affectionately used for him.
During the tribute, two members of the Hawks stood alongside Warriors coach Steve Kerr as he shared heartfelt sentiments about Milojević’s profound influence on everyone he encountered. Bogdan Bogdanovic, a guard for the Atlanta team and a Belgrade native, played for Milojević’s former Partizan team. Hawks assistant coach Igor Kokoskov, who was the Serbian national team coach, had hired Milojević onto his staff.
Milojević’s wife, Natasa, held a bouquet, and their children Masa and Nikola were enveloped in love. Kerr expressed his admiration for Milojević’s infectious smile, cherishing the perfectly captured images that reflected his spirit.
“The smile is perfect. He was constantly smiling and laughing,” Kerr said.
The Warriors returned to practice on Monday after their games against the Jazz were postponed last Wednesday and Friday due to the coach’s death.
Hawks coach Quin Snyder commended Kerr for his bravery and leadership amid the emotionally challenging period. Snyder is actively providing support to both teams during this difficult time.
“You can feel the emotion and the pain. Both have been very stoic but it’s not difficult at all to recognize the depth of emotion and how they’re mourning,” Snyder said.
“In some ways, to be here tonight and for those guys to be able to participate, in this evening, in the celebration of Deki’s life is a good thing. For us and for them knowing how close they were,” he added.
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