Battling ACL tears and cancer, Nikola Topic defied odds for an inspiring NBA debut, showcasing resilience and pure basketball heart.
The Oklahoma City Thunder lost in blowout fashion to the Milwaukee Bucks in the final game before the All Star Break.
OKC was missing the reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, their All-Star/All-NBA/All-Defense second scorer Jalen Williams, their Sixth Man of the Year candidate Ajay Mitchell and their leading rebounder Isaiah Hartenstein.
Milwaukee was missing their two time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and their starting center Myles Turner.
And yet, despite the 17 point loss and the lack of star power, the game was still worth the price of admission for the 18,230 Thunder fans in attendance.
Nikola Topic made his NBA debut.
Inarguably one of the most inspiring basketball stories of the past several years, the 20 year old has battled both an ACL tear and testicular cancer to fight his way onto an NBA court.
"He's obviously been through a ton of adversity in his life in the last couple of years. He's a young guy that all he wants to do is play basketball, and that's been taken from him couple different times. So for him to work himself to this point and get himself on the floor is a great accomplishment," Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said in his postgame presser. "I loved watching the team respond to him both during and after the game, and I can't help but think of his family as well. I have young kids at home, and it's pretty hard to even think about what his family's gone through as well. It hasn't just been him. He's got a wonderful family that loves him very much that was through this with him the entire time. And so I'm thrilled for them. Certainly a really good feel good night for his family, for him and for our team."
Topic was one of the elite prospects in the 2024 NBA Draft. Most draft analysts had him pegged as a top 5 pick. Some even rated the Serbian product as the best player in the class. Topic was a jumbo sized point guard with prodigious playmaking talent.
But an ACL tear dropped Topic down draft boards. Oklahoma City happily scooped him up at #12, a spot he never would've made it to had it not been for the injury. That fall had to be a disappointment for the incoming rookie, even if the destination was not.
After making a bit of historic trivia by becoming the first player to ever win a championship before playing a single NBA minute, Topic made waves in his first Summer League. His playmaking popped. He eventually played his first preseason game. But then came the shocking diagnosis of testicular cancer. Three bouts of chemotherapy and four months later, he played in two G League games.
Topic's journey to his first NBA minutes culminated in a game against the Bucks on a Thursday night in Oklahoma City. He checked into the game coming out of a timeout. The crowd began to cheer as he made his way onto the court. The Thunder PA announcer introduced his name into the lineup for the first time. The crowd roared. Topic hit his heart and waved. Incredible sports moment. Unbelievable human moment.
The best story of the Thunder season just happened to take place on the night of the worst loss of the Thunder season. But nobody will remember the loss. Everyone will remember the moment a young man overcame an ACL tear and cancer to fulfill his NBA dream.