Dub Hub: Warriors return for first practice since the passing of Dejan Milojević
Rounding up all Warriors and NBA related news for Tuesday, January 23rd.
Warriors News:
Warriors can find comfort in homestand after Dejan Milojević’s passing | NBC Sports Bay Area & California
The Warriors haven’t played since losing to the Grizzlies in Memphis on Jan. 15. Games in Utah against the Jazz and at home against the Dallas Mavericks were postponed, turning a scheduled four-day break into an eight-day layoff that is a rarity in the NBA.
“We needed it,” Kerr said. “I want to thank the NBA, Adam Silver, for postponing those two games. There’s no way any of us could have walked out onto a court and played a basketball game either Wednesday or Friday.”
Golden State gathered together as a team and opened the gym for individual workouts on Sunday, then held a full team practice Monday.
Even that didn’t feel normal.
Grief-stricken Warriors hope to honor Dejan Milojević in ‘Deki’ fashion | NBC Sports Bay Area & California
Players and coaches on Monday wore black T-shirts with “BRATE” printed across the chest. Just above and to the left, was a heart sketched around Milojević’s initials: “DM.” On the back was his nickname.
“Some of the guys had the idea of the shirt,” Kerr said. “Braté is what he called everybody. Brother. He called all his fellow coaches Braté. And we wanted the heart because he was so full of love, full of joy, for all of us. And vice versa. And then his nickname on the back.
“We’re sending these shirts out to all over the league so all the people who knew him and loved him will have these shirts as well.”
Kevon Looney: “The things that he taught me, I’m going to continue to carry over and pass on to Trayce (Jackson-Davis)”
Loon shares the biggest lesson he has learned from Coach Deki pic.twitter.com/cZnk5HNQwg
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) January 22, 2024
Warriors aim to refocus after ‘shock’ of Dejan Milojevic’s death | ESPN
After watching the footage from Serbia, the team took an hour to regroup and settle their emotions before beginning the practice portion of the afternoon. It was the first time they had been on the court as a team since Milojevic died suddenly last Wednesday after suffering a heart attack Tuesday night at a team dinner in Salt Lake City.
Nearly 75% of the players, coaches and staff members who were on the road trip with the Warriors were in attendance at the dinner, and witnessed what was described as a “traumatizing scene.”
Kerr said counseling has been made available to everyone within the organization, but especially those who were at the dinner.
Steve Kerr says Coach Deki would want the Warriors to go out and ‘win a basketball game’
“I could picture Deki smiling and saying, ‘You motherf--kers need to go win a basketball game.’ ”
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) January 22, 2024
- Kerr on what Coach Deki would tell the Warriors right now pic.twitter.com/NoJAZH6iCI
NBA News:
Joel Embiid drops 70, breaking Wilt Chamberlain’s 76ers record | ESPN
“Obviously, Wilt accomplished ... everything [in] the history of this league, and basketball in general,” Embiid said after his 70 points helped the Sixers beat the San Antonio Spurs 133-123 on Monday night. “So to be in the same conversation, that’s pretty cool.”
Embiid finished with 70 points, 18 rebounds and 5 assists, a line that has never happened in NBA history before Monday’s game, according to ESPN’s Stats & Information.
“It was just a great night,” he said. “I had it going. I mentioned a few times, a lot of teammates are extremely unselfish and they just kept giving me the ball, and I just finished it.”
Heat trade for Hornets guard Terry Rozier | Run It Back
"The Miami Heat are on the verge of acquiring Terry Rozier from the Charlotte Hornets; Kyle Lowry and drafts picks, including a first round pick, I'm told going to the Hornets."@ShamsCharania on Miami nearing a trade to acquire Charlotte's Terry Rozier for a package sending… pic.twitter.com/MTjPHNlM3p
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) January 23, 2024
Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch calls out his team for ‘disrespecting the game’ in Karl Anthony Towns’ 62-point performance
Wolves' Chris Finch: "It was an absolute disgusting performance of defense and immature basketball all the way through the game... This is what happens when you have this type of approach." pic.twitter.com/6j3JDGc9SA
— HoopsHype (@hoopshype) January 23, 2024
In case you missed it at Golden State of Mind:
Record crowd honors late Warriors assistant in Belgrade
As a player, Milojevic spent two seasons with Partizan, winning the Adriatic League MVP in both of those years. (He also won the previous season with Montenegrin team Budućnost) After his playing career, Deki spent eight years as the head coach of Mega, where he coached Nikola Jokic and turned the team into a pipeline to the NBA Draft.
The huge crowd clapped and chanted for minutes on end before the game, as well as lighting flares next to a huge mural of Milojevic.
Warriors’ Moses Moody cleared for light individual workouts
Before his injury, Moody was averaging 8.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, and almost 1 assist in an average of 18 minutes played per game. Compared to last season, Moody has nearly doubled both his points and rebounds per game. This season, Moody has been shooting 35.8% from three and 48.2% overall. Impressively, Moody played 24 minutes in the game vs the Pelicans where he got hurt, and scored 21 points.
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