NBA, Topic has testicular cancer

Nikola Topic has testicular cancer. Sam Presti, the General Manager of the Oklahoma City Thunder, announced the news in the gym, during the training of the NBA champion team. The 20-year-old Serbian playmaker was the Thunder’s No. 12 pick in the 2024 draft, but was unable to play last season, his freshman year, due to a torn cruciate ligament in his left knee. Now that he was finally recovered and ready to make his official debut, the boy from Novi Sad found himself facing this serious health problem.

the words

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Presti took stock of the situation in front of local journalists: Topic has already started chemotherapy and oncologists are “extremely positive” about the future prospects of the Balkan talent. Obviously there are no set recovery times. “Our priority for him is that he dedicate himself to total personal recovery. He will return to play basketball when he is ready but there are no specific expectations in this regard. He has our total support, encouragement and love. Topic is a remarkable and mature boy who has the tools to overcome this obstacle.”

the pre-season and the break

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Topic, who has already made his debut with the senior Serbian national team, had played the 2025 Summer League for Oklahoma City and started in the starting lineup in the first pre-season game against Charlotte, putting together 10 points and 7 assists in 31 minutes of use. Considered a prospect of enormous potential, a guard of important stature, 198 centimeters, and great vision of the game, he was drafted by the Thunder with the idea of ​​making him the director of the team, the facilitator capable of triggering Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, the main scorers available to Coach Daigneault. The Thunder have a 4-0 record at the start of the season, with Cason Wallace currently playing in the starting lineup. Nikola is the son of Milenko Topic, a winger who played in the Italian championship for Siena and Milan.