Warriors purpose to refocus after ‘shock’ of Dejan Milojevic’s dying

SAN FRANCISCO — The Golden State Warriors held their first group apply for the reason that dying of assistant coach Dejan Milojevic on Monday because the franchise seems to be to show the web page and refocus on basketball.

“It is arduous to explain that final week,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr stated. “Heartbreaking. Devastating. It is the saddest factor I’ve ever been part of within the NBA … The final 5 days have been filled with the shock, the emotion, the intense outpouring of affection from everywhere in the world.”

The Warriors started their Monday session by watching a virtually 15-minute tribute popping out of Belgrade, Milojevic’s hometown. A tribute sport was being held between Mega Basket, the group Milojevic coached for, and Partizan, the group which he starred for as a participant.

Gamers wore warmup shirts that learn “Typically even the largest fighters go away us.” A large banner of Milojevic’s face was displayed within the stands. The sector was standing room solely.

“I am unsure I’ve ever seen something like that pregame dedication,” Kerr stated. “I believe we obtained a greater sense of what Deki meant to his countrymen. After all, how a lot he meant to us and [his family] Natasha, Masha and Nikola.”

After watching the footage from Serbia, the group took an hour to regroup and settle their feelings earlier than starting the apply portion of the afternoon. It was the primary time that they had been on the court docket as a group since Milojevic died out of the blue final Wednesday after struggling a coronary heart assault Tuesday evening at a group dinner in Salt Lake Metropolis.

Almost 75% of the gamers, coaches and workers members who have been on the highway journey with the Warriors have been in attendance on the dinner, and witnessed what was described as a “traumatizing scene.”

Kerr stated counseling has been made obtainable to everybody inside the group, however particularly those that have been on the dinner.

“[Today] was positively slightly totally different,” Warriors middle Kevon Looney stated. Looney had labored carefully with Milojevic for the reason that coach’s arrival in 2021. Milojevic was dropped at Golden State particularly to work with the group’s huge males.

Throughout the free-shooting portion to shut apply, Looney was working with participant improvement coach Anthony Vereen at a special basket than regular.

“You have to come to work and obtained to get a complete new routine. There’s a complete totally different vibe to apply not having him right here. He was an integral a part of our group, an integral a part of my day-to-day routine. It is positively totally different.”

Hours after Milojevic’s dying, the NBA introduced that evening’s sport in opposition to the Utah Jazz was postponed. Friday’s sport in opposition to the Dallas Mavericks was additionally pushed to a later date. Kerr stated there was no method the group may have performed both of these video games following Milojevic’s sudden dying.

However, Golden State will resume its season on Wednesday when it hosts the Atlanta Hawks.

“I’m wanting ahead to getting again on the court docket and attempting to get misplaced in my love for the sport,” Looney stated. “I am going to take into consideration all of our reminiscences and the teachings that he gave me and attempt to honor him that method. That is the one method I understand how.”

The Warriors are finalizing their plans on how they’ll honor Milojevic — not simply forward of Wednesday’s sport, however for the rest of the season. At apply on Monday, Kerr sported a black T-shirt that stated “Brate” on it, the Serbian phrase for brother, and had a small coronary heart with “DM” within the higher nook.

The shirts may also be despatched to the opposite franchises across the affiliation.

“Wednesday will likely be unbelievably emotional,” Kerr stated. “There isn’t a handbook for this. We are going to honor Deki one of the best ways we all know on Wednesday evening. We will likely be there to play a basketball sport. We are going to discover a strategy to mourn and grieve and play all in the identical night.”

As Kerr tried to determine how greatest to assist his group flip the web page, he approached group advisor Ron Adams for recommendation.

Adams advised Kerr to ask himself: What would Milojevic need the group to do?

“I actually may image Deki smiling, laughing and saying, ‘You motherf—ers have to go win a basketball sport,” Kerr stated. “We’re going to do every part we are able to to win and we will get pleasure from life it doesn’t matter what. That is who he was and the way we will proceed.”