Dejan Milojević
Dejan Milojević (Serbian Cyrillic: Дејан Милојевић; born 15 April 1977) is a Serbian professional basketball coach and former player who currently serves as the head coach for Budućnost of the Adriatic League, EuroCup and the Montenegrin League, and as an assistant coach for the Serbian national team.
Budućnost VOLI | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Position | Head coach | |||||||||||||||||||
League | Adriatic League EuroCup Montenegrin League | |||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Belgrade, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia | 15 April 1977|||||||||||||||||||
Nationality | Serbian | |||||||||||||||||||
Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | |||||||||||||||||||
Listed weight | 254 lb (115 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||
Career information | ||||||||||||||||||||
NBA draft | 1999 / Undrafted | |||||||||||||||||||
Playing career | 1994–2009 | |||||||||||||||||||
Position | Power forward | |||||||||||||||||||
Number | 13, 31 | |||||||||||||||||||
Coaching career | 2012–present | |||||||||||||||||||
Career history | ||||||||||||||||||||
As player: | ||||||||||||||||||||
1994–1998 | Beovuk | |||||||||||||||||||
1998–2000 | FMP | |||||||||||||||||||
2000–2004 | Budućnost | |||||||||||||||||||
2004–2006 | Partizan | |||||||||||||||||||
2006–2008 | Pamesa Valencia | |||||||||||||||||||
2008–2009 | Galatasaray | |||||||||||||||||||
As coach: | ||||||||||||||||||||
2012–2020 | Mega Basket | |||||||||||||||||||
2021–present | Budućnost | |||||||||||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||||||||
As player
As head coach
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Medals
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Standing at 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m), he played in the power forward position for domestic league teams FMP, Budućnost, and Partizan, as well as for Pamesa Valencia in Spain, and Galatasaray in Turkey. He was named the Adriatic League Most Valuable Player Award three times in a row. Milojević played on the Serbia and Montenegro national team, winning a gold medal in the EuroBasket in 2001.
Three years after his playing career ended in 2009, Milojević became a head coach for Mega Basket of the Adriatic Basketball Association (ABA). There he coached Nikola Jokić, a future NBA All-Star player. In the 2015–16 season, he coached the Mega to their first-ever national title, the Serbian Cup, and the only ABA League finals.
Early years
Milojević was born and raised in Belgrade, and started playing basketball for Beovuk. He was quite a dominant figure while playing in the youth system, once scoring 131 points in a single game, a still-standing record.
Professional career
His professional career began in 1998 with a YUBA League club FMP from the Belgrade suburb of Železnik. While playing a couple of seasons for the club Milojević became famous for his blue-collar and never-quit style of playing. He averaged a double-double in both of his seasons with FMP and won the league MVP award in 1999.
In 2000, Milojević moved to the Podgorica-based Budućnost, where he won his first National Championship in 2001. He spent three more seasons there, improving his skills and his game every year. Already a dominating inside presence, he improved his three-point and free-throw shooting, an area in which he struggled a lot in the early years. While in Budućnost he won a couple more league MVP Awards, in 2003 and 2004.
After averaging 20.5 points and 10.8 rebounds per game in the 2003–04 season, his third MVP season, Milojević signed with the three-time defending champion KK Partizan. Although Partizan underachieved in the competition, Milojević was his usual dominant self, averaging 20.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, and just over 3 steals and assists per game. He was also the key player for Partizan's other title rout in the domestic league, as they lost only one game during the playoffs. In the 2005–06 season, Milojević had another double-double EuroLeague season, scoring 16.4 points and grabbing 10 rebounds per game, also winning a couple of Player of the Week honors.
From Partizan, Milojević moved to the Spanish side Pamesa Valencia, where he played two seasons, finishing his international career with the Turkish club Galatasaray Café Crown in the 2008–09 season. He moved back to Partizan in 2009, but soon decided to end his career because of a knee injury.[1]
National team career
Milojević was a member of the Yugoslavia junior national team (representing FR Yugoslavia), together with Igor Rakočević and Marko Jarić, that won the gold medal at the 1998 European Championship for Men '22 and Under' in Trapani, Italy. Over six tournament games, he averaged 3.3 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.[2]
Milojević was a member of the Yugoslavia senior national team that won the gold medal at the 2001 FIBA European Championship in Turkey. Over three tournament games, he averaged 4.7 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.[3] Later, he was a member of the Serbia and Montenegro national team that finished 9th at EuroBasket 2005 in his home country. Over three tournament games, he averaged 5.3 points and 2.7 rebounds per game.[4]
Coaching career
Mega (2012–2020)
In October 2012, three years after retiring from the professional basketball, Milojević became the head coach of Serbian team Mega Vizura.[5] In his first season with the team he had great success, leading his team to the semifinal of the Basketball League of Serbia, winning the place in the regional Adriatic League for the next season. In the team's first ABA League season, he led the team to 8th place with a 12–14 record. On 1 June 2020, he ended his tenure with Mega Basket.[6] Over 345 games during eight seasons, he had a 173–172 record.[7]
Milojević got his first taste of the NBA through Summer League coaching stint in the 2018 season with the Houston Rockets.[8][9]
Budućnost (2021–present)
On 28 January 2021, Montenegrin club Budućnost hired Milojević as their new head coach.[10][11] He signed a two and a half year contract.[12]
National teams
On 5 December 2019, Milojević was named an assistant coach for the Serbia national team under Igor Kokoškov.[13]
Career statistics
Legend | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game | ||
FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage | ||
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game | ||
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | PIR | Performance Index Rating | ||
Bold | Career high |
Note: The EuroLeague is not the only competition in which the player participated for the team during the season. He also played in domestic competition, and regional competition if applicable.
EuroLeague
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | PIR |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2000–01 | Budućnost | 11 | 2 | 13.5 | .622 | .000 | .333 | 3.2 | .2 | .6 | .0 | 4.6 | 3.0 |
2001–02 | Budućnost | 8 | 6 | 23.4 | .545 | .412 | .375 | 6.4 | .4 | 1.6 | .3 | 9.5 | 9.5 |
2002–03 | Budućnost | 14 | 13 | 31.7 | .592 | .000 | .695 | 6.5 | 2.4 | 1.8 | .2 | 11.6 | 15.1 |
2004–05 | Partizan | 6 | 6 | 35.5 | .634 | .000 | .700 | 11.5 | 3.3 | 3.5 | .3 | 20.8 | 30.5 |
2005–06 | Partizan | 12 | 12 | 34.6 | .419 | .294 | .730 | 10.1 | 2.3 | 1.9 | .1 | 16.4 | 23.6 |
Career | 51 | 39 | 27.6 | .539 | .214 | .662 | 7.2 | 1.7 | 1.7 | .2 | 12.0 | 15.4 |
References
- "Milojević završio karijeru". rts.rs (in Serbian). kosarka.rs. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
- "1998 Yugoslavia #13 - Dejan Milojevic". archive.fiba.com. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
- "2001 Yugoslavia #13 - Dejan Milojevic". archive.fiba.com. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
- "2005 Serbia & Montenegro #13 - Dejan Milojevic". archive.fiba.com. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
- "Dejan Milojević trener Mega Vizure". b92.net (in Serbian). Retrieved 24 May 2014.
- "Dejan Milojević ends his mission in Mega, Vladimir Jovanović to replace him". aba-liga.com. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
- "„DEKI CIAO" Posle deset godina Milojević odlazi iz Mege, a na njegovom oproštaju UČESTVUJU SVE SAMI ASOVI". sport.blic.rs. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
- "Srbi u NBA Letnjoj ligi – Alimpijević kao Milojević i Obradović". b92.net. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
- "NAŠI TRENERI CENJENI U NBA Velika čast za Milojevića i Obradovića". sport.blic.rs. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
- "Budućnost VOLI appoint Dejan Milojević as new head coach". aba-liga.com. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
- "Zvanično: Milojević preuzeo Budućnost". mozzartsport.com. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
- "Milojević potpisao na dve i po godine: Može da ode u NBA posle svake sezone". mozzartsport.com. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
- "Dejan Milojević asistira Igoru Kokoškovu u reprezentaciji". b92.net. Retrieved 6 December 2019.
External links
- Dejan Milojević at acb.com
- Dejan Milojević at euroleague.net