Nikola Topic's Health Takes Backseat to Battle Against Cancer
A major setback for the Oklahoma City Thunder has come in the form of their 2024 first-round draft pick, Nikola Topic. The 20-year-old Serbian guard is undergoing intensive chemotherapy treatment for testicular cancer, a diagnosis that was confirmed at the start of October.
The team's general manager, Sam Presti, expressed his confidence in Topic's recovery, stating that doctors are "extremely positive" about his outlook. While the young player will face a long and grueling road to full recovery, Presti emphasized the importance of Topic focusing solely on his treatment, with no expectations placed on when he might return to playing basketball.
Topic, who has been sitting out due to a torn ACL in his knee, had asked the Thunder not to discuss his treatment publicly until he began chemotherapy. Now that the conversation is public, it's clear that this is an ongoing challenge for the young player and those closest to him.
Despite having no exact timeline for Topic's recovery, Presti assured that the team will provide "total support, encouragement and love" throughout this trying time. The 20-year-old had a promising basketball career ahead of him, including stints as a star for Crvena zvezda in Serbia before being drafted 12th overall by the Thunder last season.
Topic's personal history is also significant, with his father Milenko having won a silver medal at the 1996 Olympics as part of Yugoslavia's basketball team. As he battles cancer, Topic can draw strength from this legacy and the unwavering support of those around him.
A major setback for the Oklahoma City Thunder has come in the form of their 2024 first-round draft pick, Nikola Topic. The 20-year-old Serbian guard is undergoing intensive chemotherapy treatment for testicular cancer, a diagnosis that was confirmed at the start of October.
The team's general manager, Sam Presti, expressed his confidence in Topic's recovery, stating that doctors are "extremely positive" about his outlook. While the young player will face a long and grueling road to full recovery, Presti emphasized the importance of Topic focusing solely on his treatment, with no expectations placed on when he might return to playing basketball.
Topic, who has been sitting out due to a torn ACL in his knee, had asked the Thunder not to discuss his treatment publicly until he began chemotherapy. Now that the conversation is public, it's clear that this is an ongoing challenge for the young player and those closest to him.
Despite having no exact timeline for Topic's recovery, Presti assured that the team will provide "total support, encouragement and love" throughout this trying time. The 20-year-old had a promising basketball career ahead of him, including stints as a star for Crvena zvezda in Serbia before being drafted 12th overall by the Thunder last season.
Topic's personal history is also significant, with his father Milenko having won a silver medal at the 1996 Olympics as part of Yugoslavia's basketball team. As he battles cancer, Topic can draw strength from this legacy and the unwavering support of those around him.
... like, you're already dealing with a torn acl and now cancer? that's just way too much for one young guy 
... but at the same time, i can feel for sam presti trying to balance being supportive of topic while also giving him space to focus on his treatment 
... it's not easy, you know? topic's got some tough road ahead, but with a silver medal-winning dad and all that support, he might just make it through 
... fingers crossed for a full recovery 
OMG u guys! Nikola Topic's health update is like, super heartbreaking 
My thoughts r w/ him & his team 
I wish there was more info on how he's doing rn but we can def keep him in our prayers 
I FEEL SO BAD FOR NIKOLA TOPIC!!! HE'S GOTTA GO THROUGH THIS TOUGH TIME WITH CANCER 
AND ONCE AGAIN, INJURY 
HE JUST CAN'T SEEM TO GET A BREAK!!!! BUT YOU KNOW WHAT???? HIS TEAM IS BEHIND HIM ALL THE WAY!!! 
GIVE THIS YOUNG MAN SOME TIME & SPACE TO DEAL WITH THIS, OKAY?! 
AND I HOPE HE CAN DRAW STRENGTH FROM HIS FAMOUS DAD'S OLYMPIANS LEGACY 
I mean can you even imagine how tough it must be for him to deal with all this? 
Still, at least he's got an awesome family legacy behind him 
, cancer comes outta nowhere and it's like "hold up, let me get my chemotherapy on" 
i mean I hope he gets better ASAP, but can we talk about how this is like a real-life video game for 20 years olds? "oh no, you just got diagnosed with cancer, now you gotta focus on your treatment and pretend you're still a cool guy playing ball" 
meanwhile in the real world, his dad won an OLYMPIC MEDAL 
, like that's some next level vibes 
. I was really looking forward to seeing him shine on the court for the Thunder next season 
. I hope he gets the best treatment possible and recovers soon, but like the GM said, no expectations right now... let's focus on getting him through this tough time 
. It's awesome that his dad has that Olympic experience to draw from, though - it can't be easy for a parent to see their kid battling cancer 
!
...it's not easy being in the public eye, especially when you're going through something as personal as cancer 
. Let's all be sending positive vibes their way 
Their support means everything 
Total support, encouragement and love 
Fingers crossed for a speedy recovery 
And who knows, maybe his basketball career will be even more epic because of this 
️, but in the meantime, cancer beats all 
. The Thunder are doing the right thing by giving him their full support and encouragement - every player deserves that 
. The pressure to return to playing basketball now must be huge for Topic, but focusing on treatment is key 
! nikola topic's health has literally taken a backseat to fighting cancer 
. i'm thinking about all the times i watched basketball games with my dad when i was younger, and how we'd always cheer on our favorite teams - it's crazy that someone so young is going through this 
. anyway, gotta keep him in my prayers, hoping he comes out of this even stronger than before 
. I FEEL SO BAD FOR HIM AND HIS FAMILY, ESPECIALLY WITH HIS FATHER HAVING GONE THROUGH SOMETHING SIMILAR IN THE PAST 