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Oklahoma City Thunder guard Nikola Topic is undergoing chemotherapy after being diagnosed with testicular cancer, the team announced Thursday.
Topic, a first-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, underwent a procedure earlier this month to reach a proper diagnosis. General manager Sam Presti confirmed to reporters on Thursday that the results of that procedure had come back and confirmed that the 20-year-old Serbian basketball player was suffering from cancer.
Nikola Topic poses for photos with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after being selected in the first round by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2024 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on June 26, 2024. (Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports)
“He had a testicular procedure very early in training camp. That procedure was necessary, and it was done at MD Anderson in Houston, to determine if Nikola was dealing with a case of testicular cancer. The procedure was necessary to do a biopsy and the biopsy results came back and he was dealing with a case of testicular cancer,” Presti said.
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“He has a wonderful group of oncologists…and they are extremely positive about his outlook. It’s important to note that testicular cancer is the most curable form of cancer in men, but the treatment option for him at this time, as recommended by the oncologist, is chemotherapy.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, testicular cancer is not a “common type of cancer,” but it is highly treatable. It usually affects men aged 15 to 45, but can occur at any age.
Nikola Topic (44) of the Oklahoma City Thunder prepares to shoot against the Utah Jazz during the first half of their NBA Summer League game at the Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, Utah on July 8, 2025. (Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
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“Topic did not want to make this information public until he began the treatment he recently underwent,” Presti continued. “He’s been here, he’s training, he’s working through this process – he’s been able to do it. But as we all know, it’s going to be a difficult treatment process to go through.”
Presti offered no timetable for Topic’s recovery, but emphasized the team’s support for him.
“Our only expectations of him are to focus on that – that’s his biggest priority. He’ll come back and play basketball when he can, but we obviously have no expectations on that.”
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Nikola Topic (44) takes the court against the Charlotte Hornets in the first quarter at the North Charleston Coliseum in North Charleston, South Carolina on October 5, 2025. (Arthur Ellis/Imagn Images)
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Topic, the 12th overall pick in 2024, missed his entire rookie campaign while recovering from a torn ACL. He played in Summer League this year and started a preseason game against the Charlotte Hornets, posting 10 points and 7 assists in Oklahoma City’s 135-114 victory.
