Nikola Topić has had a long journey to the NBA, but the 2024 first-round draft pick has now made his debut.
Topić, who was diagnosed with testicular cancer in October, checked in for the Oklahoma City Thunder for the first time on Thursday and received a standing ovation from the home crowd.
Topić scored his first NBA basket moments after checking into the game.
Thunder general manager Sam Presti revealed Topić’s cancer diagnosis in October, noting that his biopsy from a testicular procedure earlier that month had come back positive for cancer. Topić began chemotherapy shortly after the diagnosis.
He had played in the Thunder’s Summer League games and in preseason and was set to debut in the fall before the diagnosis.
Topić also missed the entirety of his rookie season because of a torn ACL he suffered before the draft. The Thunder selected him 12th overall in 2024.
The Serbia native made his G League debut for the Oklahoma City Blue on Tuesday against the Sioux Falls Skyforce, recording seven points and seven assists in 16 minutes of action.
“We’re all just collectively thrilled that he’s back playing basketball,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault told reporters. “I know he’s missed it a great deal, and this is just so good for him mentally to get his feet back underneath him.”
Daigneault also called it an “unbelievable accomplishment” and praised Topić’s “resilience.”
“Great accomplishment,” Daigneault said. “Just can’t say enough about him as a guy, his mental toughness, maturity, resilience. … He hasn’t played a lot of basketball over the last two years, and he comes off a one-year rehab and immediately has a surprising diagnosis and goes through chemotherapy, three rounds of it. So for him to work himself back onto the court is just an unbelievable accomplishment, and we’re incredibly happy for him.”