The National Basketball League has announced that Friday’s match between the Dallas Mavericks and the Golden State Warriors has been postponed.
The announcement comes in the wake of assistant coach Dejan Milojevic’s death on Wednesday. The NBA has not announced a date to make up the game.
Milojevic suffered a heart attack during a team dinner on Tuesday ahead of a scheduled Wednesday game at the Salt Lake City Jazz. Milojevic was transported to an area hospital, where he died the next day. The former Serbian star was just 46 years old.
“You changed my life in such a short time,” Warriors rookie Brandin Podziemski wrote on social media. “The most important thing you ever told me was to just smile! Your joy and laughs will forever be missed. Shine down on us from heaven.”
Milojevic was a well-respected coach who impacted numerous players, both in his home country of Serbia and in the U.S., where he became an NBA coach. On Wednesday, Mavericks star Luka Doncic posted “Pocivaj u miru deki,” meaning “Rest in Peace, Deki,” in Croatian.
Milojevic began playing basketball in Serbia during the Yugoslav wars and established himself as a true star. While never known for his particular skill, “Deki” used his size and hustle to outmuscle opponents and became one of the most feared ballers on the court. He is often called “The Serbian Charles Barkley.” He began his coaching career in the NBA in 2021 with the Warriors.
This is the second game to be postponed since the death of Milojevic. Wednesday’s game was also postponed. The Warriors are not scheduled to play again until January 24, when they host the Atlanta Hawks.
The Mavericks traveled to the Bay Area on Wednesday to play the Lakers and planned to stay in California ahead of the contest with Golden State. The team returned to Dallas on Thursday after learning of the decision by the NBA to postpone the game.
The Mavericks will now prepare to host the first-place Boston Celtics on Monday, January 22. The Mavericks are currently in sixth place in the Western Conference.
