OKC Youngster Nikola Topic Getting Cancer Treatment Year After Tearing ACL Stuns Fans – “Just Can’t Catch a Break”

Nikola Topic, who the Oklahoma City Thunder selected with the 12th pick of the 2024 Draft, has yet to play a regular season game.

OKC Youngster Nikola Topic Getting Cancer Treatment Year After Tearing ACL Stuns Fans – “Just Can’t Catch a Break”

Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Nikola Topic (Image via FirstSportz)

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Last season, after the Oklahoma City Thunder won their first-ever NBA championship, their fans were ecstatic about their prospects of defending the title, as they hadn’t yet deployed Nikola Topic.

The organization selected the Serbian youngster 12th overall in last year’s draft. He was a long-term prospect, as the point guard arrived at the Draft with a torn ACL.

It was expected that the then 19-year-old would recover, learn, and play for the team over the next few years. Their confidence in him was high enough for them to trade away Josh Giddey, their other natural point guard.

This season, Topic was supposed to bolster a squad that had just won a title and had handed out millions of dollars to its Big 3. A youngster with tremendous potential on a cheap contract was another one of GM Sam Presti‘s genius decisions.

Everybody was aware, he had a testicular procedure at the very beginning of training camp… He is dealing with a case of testicular cancer.

Sam Presti revealed to reporters

This was Presti’s official announcement that Nikola Topic was diagnosed with testicular cancer, and he has officially started chemotherapy to battle the disease.

The GM also revealed that the team is giving their 2024 draft pick all the needs to become healthy before he can look to make his regular-season debut for the team.

This also explains why he was not part of the Serbian national team that was billed to dominate EuroBasket 2025. Now it seems the youngster will have to wait until he can represent his nation and the Thunder.

Fans feel for Nikola Topic after cancer revelation

Testicular cancer is not a very serious form of the disease, and many have been known to contract it and then recover. They have been able to then lead a normal life for years on end without it relapsing.

In Nikola Topic’s situation, basketball fans offered support and prayers, but also felt that the Oklahoma City Thunder player was facing a lot of adversity very early in his life.

Not playing a game in the NBA, first due to his ACL tear, and now this cancer, is heartbreaking. Fans hope he comes back strong and realizes his dream of playing in the best basketball league in the world. Check out examples of those reactions below:

Nikola Topic has tremendous potential to become a star player in this league. Coming from Serbia, they already have a different feel and poise about themselves, and that is what Sam Presti thinks will help the point guard through this health scare.

Sam Presti praises Nikola Topic’s maturity at this age

Sam Presti did not give a clear timeline for Nikola Topic’s return, as it depends on how his treatment goes.

Oklahoma City Thunder won a title with their chemistry
Oklahoma City Thunder won a title with their chemistry (Image via Overtime/X)

When a reporter asked about how such a young player is handling this health scare, the OKC GM replied:

He’s a really special guy. I think every one of his teammates will tell you that. He’s equipped from a maturity standpoint more than just about anybody I know at this age to look at this and approach it with the type of mentality that’s required. I think he’ll do a great job.

It seems the young player’s maturity, combined with the support the Oklahoma City Thunder are providing, should see the point guard return sometime later this year or next season.

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