Darko Rajakovic Opened Game With Play Out Of Dejan Milojevic’s Playbook & Emotionally Honored Win To His Late Friend
NBAE via Getty Images
The Golden State Warriors and the entire NBA world are in deep mourning. Assistant coach, Dejan Milojevic has passed away at age 46.
Milojevic was hospitalized Tuesday night at a Salt Lake City restaurant after a sudden heart attack. He had traveled with the Warriors for their game against the Utah Jazz. There were players and coaches eating dinner together when the health incident occurred.
While the Warriors game against the Jazz was postponed, the other NBA games scheduled for that night took place as planned. The Toronto Raptors played against the Miami Heat .
Without Pascal Siakam, who was traded to the Indiana Pacers, the Raptors celebrated an impressive victory
Already up by 35 points at half-time at home against the Miami Heat – the highest half-time deficit for the Heat in their franchise history – Toronto won the game 121:97.
This however took a backseat to an emotional press conference by Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic. Rajakovic and Milojevic were close friends and he honored his late friend by dedicating the game and eventual win to him.
Rajakovic even used one of Milojevic’s plays as his opening play of the game – an ATO (after timeout play) he took from Dejan.
Darko Rajakovics erstes Drawn-Play des Spiels gegen die Heat war ein ATO (after timeout) Play, das er vom verstorbenen Warriors Assistant Coach Dejan Milojevic übernommen hat.
Die beiden waren gute Freunde. Darko hat ihm das Spiel und den Sieg gewidmet. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/FRpTM9YC4Z
— Len Werle (@RealLennyCarlos) January 18, 2024
“[The] opening play in the game was a ATO that Deki [Dejan Milojevic], my friend – I learned that play from him and that’s what he brought to the NBA, and that’s what he brought to Golden State,” an emotional Rajakovic told reporters during his post-game press conference. “I stole that play from him, and that was our opening play tonight and we were able to score on that one. I dedicate this team win to our team and to Deki.”
Coach Darko Rajakovic tells that he learned the opening play from the late Dejan Milojevic and dedicates the win to him
— BasketNews (@BasketNews_com) January 18, 2024
