OKC Thunder Bench Boss Gives Update on Nikola Topic

Earlier this season, on Oct. 30, the Oklahoma City Thunder announced that rookie guard Nikola Topic has been diagnosed with testicular cancer. The OKC Thunder selected Topic with the No. 12 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, coming off an ACL tear that sidelined him for the entire 2024-25 season.

As Sam Presti announced this unfortunate news, he gave an update that this process would involve chemotherapy though it is the most treatable form of Cancer. It is an unimaginable thing to go through any time, but especially at a young age and following up an injury.

Though throughout the season, Oklahoma City Thunder players and coaches have raved about Topic's mentality while battling through this and how much they have supported the point guard through this process.

Since then, the lottery pick has been spotted on the Paycom Center hardwood hours before tip-off of multiple games getting work in. Trying to balance recovery with his basketball career. At practice over the weekend, OKC Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault was asked about the media spotting Topic working out before games.

"He’s doing a great job navigating what’s obviously a tough circumstance. Despite the fact that your body goes through hell in that situation, he’s still conditioning himself," Daigneault said. "He’s still finding the time to work out, which is not easy to do when you’re going through that. What it puts your body through anyway is hard. To push yourself as a professional athlete is even harder."

You can only imagine how difficult this is to navigate, even from a purely conditional standpoint as Daigneault touches on, the impact Chemotherapy has on your body is energy and strength zapping. To see Topic gut through that and be on the court is an impressive and inspiring sight.

"He's handling this the same way he's always handled everything we've ever seen," Daigneault said, "which is with unbelievable professionalism, maturity and mental toughness. All the things that he has exhibited to this point are being tested, and he's passing the test."

Topic is just 20-years-old but no matter who you ask about the Thunder point guard, maturity is the word that always comes up. He is wise beyond his years and that wisdom and mental toughness, as Daigneault points out, is paramount when dealing with these unthinkable circumstances.

It is unclear when Topic will be able to play NBA basketball again, but the updates remain encouraging from the personal side of things.