TORONTO – After the Toronto Raptors and Golden State Warriors played each other on Sunday, the teams’ coaching staffs raised a glass in honour of their friend and colleague Dejan Milojevic.
Milojevic was an assistant coach with Golden State when he died in January 2024 at the age of 46 after he had a heart attack during a team dinner in Salt Lake City. He had deep ties to both the Warriors and Raptors coaches as he worked with or mentored several people in both organizations.
“He’s been really missed,” said Toronto head coach Darko Rajakovic who, like all of Serbia’s basketball community, was grief stricken by Milojevic’s sudden death. “Every time we play against Golden State, we have our tradition and after the game I bring (Serbian brandy) rakija, and we go after the game and their coaching staff and our coaching staff, we get together and have one rakija in his name.
“He’s really missed.”
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.
Rajakovic wore a black shirt with the word “brate” emblazoned across the chest and the initials DM in a small shield during his pre-game news conference. Brate — pronounced BRUHT’-teh — literally translates to brother but is sometimes used by Serbians collegially, like buddy.
At the time of Milojevic’s death, Rajakovic said he was a role model as a player, a coach, a husband and a man.
Raptors assistant coach Jama Mahlalela had joined the Warriors organization at the same time as Milojevic before moving on to Rajakovics staff. Ivo Simovic, another one of Toronto’s assistant coaches, has also coached with Serbia’s national program like Rajakovic and Milojevic.
“We’re a very small fraternity in the NBA, and so all coaches know each other, and there are different things that bond us all,” said Golden State head coach Steve Kerr, referring to Milojevic by his nickname Deki. “(He) bonded Darko and Jama and me and our staff.
“Every year now, both games, we do a shot of rakija, which is Serbian brandy, after the game to toast Deki.”
Nikola Milojevic, Dejan Milojevic’s son, is now a video coach with Golden State but he didn’t make the trip to Toronto for Sunday’s game.
“That’s amazing what Golden State did there, giving him an opportunity to be part of the organization and helping their family,” said Rajakovic. “That speaks a volume of Steve Kerr and the organization.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 28, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press