Nikola Topic, the 20-year-old, 6-foot-6 Serbian point guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder, the reigning NBA champions, made his G League debut with his affiliate team after recovering from a torn knee ligament and undergoing grueling chemotherapy treatment to overcome testicular cancer.
Oklahoma City has blind faith in the possibilities of this future European basketball star, as evidenced by the fact that they chose him with the 12th pick in the 2024 draft despite the fact that he had torn a ligament in his knee two months earlier, an injury that ruled him out for his entire first season in the United States.
Topic scored seven points and seven assists in 16 minutes for the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s G League affiliate, in their overtime victory (137-135) over the Sioux Falls Skyforce
Thunder coach Daigneault is amazed with him
In Los Angeles, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault praised his young pupil before his team took on the Lakers. “We’re all thrilled that he’s back playing basketball,” he said. “I know he’s missed it a lot, and this is great for him mentally to recover.”
Topic played with the Thunder in Summer League games last year and again appeared in the team’s preseason, but was subsequently diagnosed with testicular cancer that required him to undergo chemotherapy and then had to regain his fitness. An exercise in faith, perseverance, hard work and self-improvement that has not gone unnoticed by his franchise or the NBA.
I have no words to describe his mental strength, maturity and resilience… That he has come back to play is an incredible achievement
“It’s a great achievement,” Daigneault said. “I don’t have words to describe his mental toughness, maturity and resilience… He hasn’t played much basketball in the last two years, and he’s coming off a year of knee rehab and immediately got a shocking cancer diagnosis and went through three rounds of chemotherapy. That he’s back on the court is an incredible achievement, and we’re very happy for him.”
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