Oklahoma City Thunder guard Nikola Topić has begun chemotherapy after being diagnosed with testicular cancer, Thunder general manager Sam Presti told reporters, the team said. Topić, the No. 12 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, has been advised by doctors to focus on treatment; the club said there is no timetable for his return to the court. The GM said doctors were “extremely positive” about the 20-year-old guard’s long-term outlook
"Our only expectation of him is to focus on this," Presti said. "This is his most important priority. He'll be back playing basketball when he's able to, but we're not putting any type of expectations on that. He has our total support, encouragement, and love."
"Topic is really a remarkable guy, I think everybody knows that. Extremely mature, composed, resilient."
He underwent a testicular procedure in early October and was originally scheduled to be re-evaluated within four to six weeks.
Topić, who turns 21 this season and is from Serbia, was selected 12th overall in the 2024 draft and missed the entire 2024-25 season while recovering from a torn ACL. He had made a strong impression during training camp and the preseason before the testicular procedure was announced; the Thunder had previously said he would be re-evaluated on a roughly four-to-six-week timeline.
Testicular cancer is most commonly diagnosed in younger men and, when detected and treated appropriately, is one of the more curable cancers. Standard approaches for many forms include surgical removal of the affected testicle and, depending on stage and pathology, adjuvant therapies such as chemotherapy or radiation.
"Our only expectation of him is to focus on this," Presti said. "This is his most important priority. He'll be back playing basketball when he's able to, but we're not putting any type of expectations on that. He has our total support, encouragement, and love."
"Topic is really a remarkable guy, I think everybody knows that. Extremely mature, composed, resilient."
He underwent a testicular procedure in early October and was originally scheduled to be re-evaluated within four to six weeks.
Topić, who turns 21 this season and is from Serbia, was selected 12th overall in the 2024 draft and missed the entire 2024-25 season while recovering from a torn ACL. He had made a strong impression during training camp and the preseason before the testicular procedure was announced; the Thunder had previously said he would be re-evaluated on a roughly four-to-six-week timeline.
Testicular cancer is most commonly diagnosed in younger men and, when detected and treated appropriately, is one of the more curable cancers. Standard approaches for many forms include surgical removal of the affected testicle and, depending on stage and pathology, adjuvant therapies such as chemotherapy or radiation.
