Oklahoma City Thunder guard Nikola Topic has commenced chemotherapy following a confirmed diagnosis of testicular cancer. The announcement was made by the team’s general manager, Sam Presti, on October 30, 2024. Presti revealed that Topic opted to keep this information private until he began his treatment.
“He’s been in here, he’s training, he’s working out through this entire process,” Presti stated, acknowledging the difficulty of the treatment. “As we all know, this would be a challenging treatment process to go through.”
Topic, who is only 20 years old, was selected by the Thunder as the 12th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. His debut season was marred by a torn ACL, which sidelined him for the entirety of the 2024-25 season. Earlier this month, the Thunder announced he would miss four to six weeks after undergoing what they termed a “testicular procedure.” At that time, further details were not disclosed.
Presti clarified that the procedure was crucial for diagnosing Topic’s condition, and a subsequent biopsy confirmed the cancer diagnosis. While there is currently no timeline for Topic’s return, Presti mentioned that doctors are “extremely positive” about his long-term outlook.
“Our only expectations for him are to focus on this,” Presti emphasized. “This is his most important priority. He’ll be back playing basketball when he’s able to, but we’re not putting any time length or expectations on that, obviously. He has our total support, encouragement, and love.”
Topic is receiving care from a team of oncologists at both OU and MD Anderson, who have expressed optimism regarding his situation. This is not the first instance of an NBA player facing a similar diagnosis. Former Denver Nuggets player Nene was diagnosed during the 2007-08 season and returned to play after missing 76 days. He went on to have an additional 11 years in the league post-recovery.
Presti described Topic as “a remarkable, remarkable guy,” noting his maturity and resilience. “He has all the tools that you could ask for somebody to take on and conquer the situation,” he added.
In a reflective moment over the past summer, Topic discussed the challenges of missing his rookie season due to injury. He expressed his desire to find positives in a difficult situation. “It was hard, you know? I didn’t play a basketball game for a very long time, and that was really hard,” he shared in a video posted by the Thunder. “But as you go through that process, you learn something about yourself that you didn’t know you had. You didn’t know how strong you were and how human bodies are strong. I’ll say I took the positives from it and learned from it.”
“I feel good now,” Topic continued, acknowledging the initial difficulties of returning to play. “It was a little bit rough at the beginning, especially at the back-to-back. It was pretty weird that I had to play back-to-back games. I don’t know, it was weird. I didn’t know what to do; sleep, take a nap. It was really weird, but I’m getting used to it.”
As Topic navigates this challenging chapter, the support from his team and the broader basketball community remains steadfast. The Thunder organization stands firmly behind him as he focuses on recovery.
