Golden State Warriors vow to uphold ‘Deki’ Milojevic’s legacy

KEVON LOONEY CALLS it the “large man hoop.”

Situated on the far facet of the Golden State Warriors’ observe facility, the ring faces away from the load room. Looney by no means beforehand labored at it, however when Dejan Milojević joined the workforce as an assistant coach in 2021, it turned their spot.

Beneath Milojević’s mentorship, Looney had the most effective rebounding seasons of his profession. The ahead went from averaging 4 rebounds per recreation by way of his first six seasons within the league to 7.3 rebounds in the course of the 2021-22 season, when the Warriors received their most up-to-date NBA championship. Final season, Looney averaged a career-best 9.3 rebounds.

However Looney and the Warriors carry a heavy coronary heart. It has been lower than a month since Milojević died on Jan. 17 after struggling a coronary heart assault at a non-public workforce dinner the night time earlier than Golden State’s scheduled highway recreation towards the Utah Jazz.

“[He taught me] a distinct mentality,” Looney mentioned after Milojevićs dying. “Not settling for being common, however being elite, being nice at one thing. I had the most effective two years of my profession enjoying underneath his teaching and getting recommendation from him.”

The workforce might be with out coach Steve Kerr for Monday’s recreation, who, together with a number of assistants and entrance workplace personnel, attended Milojević’s memorial service in his native Serbia.

Milojević’s dying at age 46 was a shock to the workforce and to the basketball world. Fondly generally known as “Deki” and previously a star participant and profitable coach in Serbia, Milojević was in his third season on the Warriors’ employees. He was identified for mentoring gamers resembling Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic and NBA facilities Ivica Zubac, Goga Bitadze and Boban Marjanovic.

For Warriors ahead Dario Šarić, the prospect to develop underneath Milojević was partly why he joined the Warriors as a free agent this previous summer season. Saric had identified Milojević lengthy earlier than arriving at Golden State; the 2 had been former MVPs within the Adriatic League.

Figuring out collectively at each observe and warming up forward of video games, Saric rapidly developed a bond together with his place coach.

“These emotions, it’s essential to be skilled … undergo it and attempt to regulate to the brand new state of affairs,” Šarić instructed ESPN of being again in Salt Lake Metropolis, “however clearly [Milojević] is someplace in my thoughts.”

Looney and Šarić have vowed to maintain up Milojević’s practices and have pressured the message to the Warriors’ assistants.

“We at all times speak concerning the bigs as a bunch on this workforce,” Looney instructed ESPN. “We simply attempt to bond collectively and proceed our exercises — all the footwork, the smiling, the speaking s—.”

Looney and Šarić have handled Milojević’s dying by telling the opposite assistants to stick to his most essential classes: Do not sugarcoat messages. Name them out after they deserve it. Maintain them accountable on every thing, large and small.

However after Milojević’s dying, Looney additionally felt it was time to maneuver on from the “large man hoop.”

“It felt bizarre being over there, performing prefer it’s all the identical,” Looney mentioned. “I wished to modify it up … I could not act prefer it was the identical.”

THE WARRIORS WILL always remember the occasions of the night time they misplaced Deki.

On Jan. 16, the workforce gathered for dinner on the Valter’s Osteria restaurant in Salt Lake Metropolis, a favourite spot for the Warriors. Milojević was sitting at a desk with two fellow assistants — Chris DeMarco and Ron Adams — together with Šarić.

It was there that Milojević suffered a coronary heart assault. He was hospitalized that night time and died the subsequent day.

After Milojević’s dying, the sport on Jan. 17 towards the Jazz was postponed, as was the Warriors’ following recreation at house on Jan. 19 towards the Dallas Mavericks.

The workforce regrouped at their observe facility on Jan. 22, the place they met with Milojević’s household, together with Milojević’s daughter, Maša; addressed the workforce; and Milojević’s son, Nikola, spent a while with Warriors guard Klay Thompson taking pictures and rebounding.

“Simply to have the ability to inform him how a lot I cherished his dad, all the nice recollections we constructed and made collectively, I simply instructed him how grateful I’m for his household and the way happy with them [Milojević] was,” Thompson instructed ESPN.

When the Warriors returned to motion on Jan. 24 at house towards the Atlanta Hawks, gamers from each groups stood on the sideline of the Chase Middle courtroom with matching shirts that learn “Brate,” which is Serbian for “brother.” The Serbian nationwide anthem was performed, in addition to a tribute video, and particular jerseys had been positioned on Milojević’s vacant chair.

For the reason that tragedy, Šarić and members of the teaching employees periodically test in with Milojević’s widow, Nataša.

“I misplaced a very good pal. I misplaced a coach who was actually there for me, who is aware of what to inform me on the proper second, who is aware of my tradition, who actually is aware of what is going on on in my thoughts,” Šarić mentioned. “I miss him quite a bit, from a pal standpoint, and for basketball, he was a very good mentor.

“Perhaps the most effective mentor I’ve ever had.”

FOLLOWING SATURDAY’S THRILLING 113-112 win towards the Phoenix Suns, capped by Stephen Curry’s last-second 3-pointer, the Warriors started their two separate journeys to honor Milojević forward of Monday’s recreation in Utah.

Kerr — with DeMarco, Adams, workforce adviser Zaza Pachulia, normal supervisor Mike Dunleavy and director of workforce drugs Rick Celebrini — departed on Sunday for the Serbian capital of Belgrade for Milojević’s memorial service. Assistant coach Kenny Atkinson stayed behind to function performing coach in Utah.

“This journey, it is going to be robust,” Kerr instructed ESPN. “In some methods, this nonetheless hasn’t been actual.”

Kerr and the staffers will return for the Warriors’ house recreation towards the LA Clippers on Wednesday. The Warriors return to Utah as soon as once more on Thursday to make up the initially postponed recreation.

The Warriors are slowly turning their focus again to basketball after final month’s tragedy — one thing that Kerr feels stays a problem.

“As soon as we had the ceremony earlier than the [Hawks] recreation, you simply get again into the routine [of games and travel],” Kerr mentioned. “Each now and again, for everybody, it simply hits you and also you cease and assume, ‘I can not consider that is actual.’ [Attending the service] will make it far more actual.”

The workforce is staying on the identical Salt Lake Metropolis lodge from the earlier journey, regardless of making an attempt to vary it. There was a room on the lodge for gamers to look at the Tremendous Bowl collectively, although some made their very own plans to look at the sport.

“It is going to be robust to stroll again to these [hotel] rooms, remembering these emotions — the curler coaster occurring in that second in our minds and hearts,” Šarić mentioned earlier than Monday’s recreation. “It is going to be robust for all of us, particularly these of us who had been on the dinner.”

The workforce doesn’t plan to return to the restaurant. “By no means going again there once more,” Kerr mentioned.

Gamers like Thompson perceive Monday’s recreation might be in contrast to any the Warriors have ready for.

“I do not know easy methods to method this [game],” Thompson instructed ESPN after the win towards Phoenix. “We, as a workforce, have by no means handled something like this.”

In the course of the 2022 postseason, Warriors ahead Draymond Inexperienced performed a playoff recreation simply sooner or later after the dying of his faculty teammate. He’s getting ready to take the identical method to Monday.

“You simply attempt to make your self conscious that that is going to be totally different,” Inexperienced instructed ESPN. “Your feelings are going to be totally different. … You attempt to management your feelings the most effective you may.”

For Looney, it is going to be about carrying on these classes he realized with Deki underneath that “large man hoop.”

“Simply being intentional about having that point collectively,” Looney mentioned. “Keep in mind what he taught us and maintain his title and legacy alive.”