The Oklahoma City Thunder announced on Thursday that Nikola Topic, a promising 20-year-old Serbian basketball player, has testicular cancer and is starting chemotherapy. Topic was the 12th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Sam Presti, the Thunder’s general manager, said that Topic had a biopsy at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston earlier this month. This procedure confirmed the diagnosis.
Presti said that even though this news is hard to hear, the oncologists in charge of Topic’s care are “extremely positive” about his long-term prognosis. Topic has kept up his workout routine while getting treatment. This effort shows how strong and determined he is to fight the disease. The team has made Topic’s health their top priority and has not set a date for his return to the court.
Topic had been out for the whole 2024–25 season because of a torn ACL. However, he had shown promise this year by playing in the summer league and having a strong preseason game against the Charlotte Hornets. In that game, he scored 10 points and had seven assists. People were very excited to see him play for the Thunder for the first time. But this diagnosis means he will probably miss most or all of the current season.
Sam Presti praised Topic’s strength and maturity, calling him “remarkable, composed, and resilient.” These are all qualities that will help him fight this health battle. The Thunder organization and fans are standing behind Topic. They are giving him all the support he needs as he goes through chemotherapy and recovery. Testicular cancer is serious, but it is also very treatable. This gives hope that Topic will fully recover and be able to play professional basketball again.
This news is a big deal for both NBA and Thunder fans. They are hopeful that the young player will get through treatment and back to his basketball career.
