The NBA world continues to mourn the sudden and tragic death of Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojevic, who died Wednesday after suffering a heart attack at a private team dinner in Salt Lake City, Utah on Tuesday.
Players and coaches around the league shared social media posts praising Milojevic, and several teams held a moment of silence before games in honor of the late coach. But on Friday night, perhaps one of the players most affected by the pass broke his silence.
Warriors center Kevon Looney posted five photos on his Instagram page Friday night, along with a heartfelt message in memory of Milojevic, a coach and “brother” with whom he worked closely in recent years. .
Milojevic was in his third season as an assistant coach with the Warriors after an illustrious 14-year international career that included stints in Serbia, Spain and Turkey.
After retiring, Milojevic became the head coach of Serbian team Mega Vizsla. Nearly a decade later, Golden State hired him as an assistant coach and was initially assigned to work closely with former No. 2 pick and 7-foot center James Wiseman.
But when injuries derailed the start of Wiseman’s NBA career, Milojevic shifted his focus to Looney, specifically helping the Warriors’ big man improve his rebounding. Yes, Milojevic is the man who deserves credit for turning Looney into a rebounding machine.
In the first six seasons of his NBA career, Looney averaged 4.0 rebounds (1.6 offensive rebounds, 2.4 defensive rebounds) in 15 minutes per game. In the 2021-22 season, the same year Milojevic joined the coaching staff, Looney averaged 7.3 rebounds and 7.6 boards per game in 82 regular season games, helping Golden State win its fourth championship in eight seasons. .
Last season, Looney averaged career highs across the board, shooting 63 percent, seven points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists.
Milojevic helped Looney’s influence on the court, but it’s clear their bond was even stronger off the court. And for that, Rooney, and Dub Nation, will be forever grateful.
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