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Warriors vs. Mavericks postponed in wake of Golden State assistant Dejan Milojević's death

callie lawson-freeman
Contributing writer
·2 min read
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 17: A general view of the screen during a moment of silence for Golden State Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojević prior to the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks at Crypto.com Arena on January 17, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)

The Golden State Warriors will defer another contest in the wake of assistant coach Dejan Milojević's death.

A matchup with the Dallas Mavericks scheduled for Friday in San Francisco will be postponed, the NBA announced Thursday. It's the second schedule change in light of the tragedy. Rescheduled dates have yet to be set forth.

The league postponed Wednesday's game between the Warriors and Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City due to a medical situation with Milojević. The 46-year-old had a heart attack at a team dinner Tuesday in Utah. He was hospitalized and died Wednesday morning despite "life-saving efforts."

Milojević had a 14-year professional playing career that saw him play in his home country of Serbia, Spain, Montenegro and Turkey. The three-time Adriatic League MVP went on to coach in Serbia, a tenure that is best known for his early work with Nikola Jokić.

He joined Warriors head coach Steve Kerr's staff in 2021, following stints as an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs in 2017 and the Houston Rockets in 2018.

The news of Milojević's passing garnered an outpouring of public sentiment from players and coaches all over the league. His photo was displayed during a moment of silence before multiple NBA games Wednesday night. The Los Angeles Lakers took part in a demonstration ahead of their win over the Mavericks. Before taking the court in California that night, Dallas star Luka Dončić honored Milojević in a social media post, writing "Rest in peace, Deki" in Bosnian.

Former Warriors general manager Bob Myers, who now works as a television personality for ESPN, struggled to speak about Milojević on Wednesday on "NBA Today."

"He was this bigger-than-life person," Myers said. "I talked to some people at the Warriors and it's hard right now. I know they canceled the game — there was no way they could have played that game."

The most recently postponed game was slated to be broadcast nationally on ESPN. The network will air the Lakers' game against the Brooklyn Nets during the window instead. The Warriors are next scheduled to host the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, Jan. 24.