In their first game back, the Golden State Warriors honor late assistant coach Dejan Milojević.
The Golden State Warriors defeated the Atlanta Hawks 134–111 on Wednesday night at the Chase Center, sparking intense emotions as they played their first game back after a nine-day vacation.
According to Yahoo Sports, assistant coach Dejan Milojević passed away last week from a heart attack, forcing the squad to postpone a few games.
The Warriors donned black shirts with the Serbian word “brate” emblazoned on them—which means “brother” in English—as a tribute to the late coach.
They also unveiled a new jersey patch that they will wear for the remainder of the season, which has Milojević’s initials inside a heart.
Before the game, Warriors coach Steve Kerr spoke to the audience inside the Chase Center. There was no silence for a while since he asked
want Milojević to receive a standing ovation.
After that, the Warriors honored their assistant coach by removing their special Milojević jerseys and setting them on an empty bench chair meant for him.
A number of Warriors players, including Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, were visibly moved by this kind gesture as they were playing the game.
Even with a one-point advantage, the Warriors pulled away in the third quarter to win by a score of 22 points.
On Friday, the Warriors will make their home court debut against the Dallas Mavericks in the first game of a six-game homestand.