A year sitting on the bench, Nikola Topic made NBA history that’ll perfectly fit into future trivia. He became the first player ever to win a championship ring before playing a game.
The Oklahoma City Thunder turned in one of the greatest seasons ever. They dominated their way through the regular season and were a win machine in the playoffs on their way to their first NBA championship. Meanwhile, Topic quietly recovered from a partially torn ACL in the background.
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The Thunder could afford the wait. They added Topic with the No. 12 pick of the 2024 NBA draft. He’s finally had a chance to suit up in the 2025 Summer League. The potential is tantalizing as a tall playmaking guard, but there’s still a lot of clay left to be molded.
In his redshirt year, Topic had a front-row seat to Gilgeous-Alexander’s historic MVP season. The 19-year-old talked about being able to see him have one of the greatest years ever. He hopes to back him up this upcoming season as the bench playmaker.
“He had a great season and was an amazing player. Just to be able to watch him from the sideline and the bench, be able to work with him and see him be able to work out every day, it was really amazing,” Topic said about Gilgeous-Alexander. “It’s not accidental that he was that great.”
The Thunder lack a backup point guard. The second-unit offense struggled throughout the season despite winning a championship. Topic could fill that role as the man behind Gilgeous-Alexander.
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Nikola Topic reflects on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP season