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OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma City Thunder prospect Nikola Topic will make his G League debut for the OKC Blue on Monday. Topic was diagnosed with testicular cancer this season. Ahead of his first NBA season after missing his rookie campaign due to a season-long left ACL injury, Topic’s cancer diagnosis was a scary setback for the 12th overall pick in the 2024 draft.
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Before he was assigned for a stint with the Blue, Topic rejoined his Thunder teammates in pregame shootaround. Then, the Thunder announced Topic was headed to the Blue ahead of his debut against the Sioux Falls Skyforce at the Paycom Center.
Topic, who was projected to be a top lottery pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, slid down to 12 for the Thunder after he suffered a torn ACL in his left knee. He spent all of last season rehabing before making his summer-league debut for the Thunder in Las Vegas.
Topic averaged 10.8 points, 5.8 assists, and 3.2 rebounds across six games for the Thunder in summer league. He played in one preseason game before his cancer diagnosis.
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Nikola Topic makes G League debut after cancer diagnosis
SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK
Amid Thunder guard Nikola Topic’s cancer diagnosis before his NBA debut, he’ll get his first feel of G League basketball as a member of the Oklahoma City Blue. Before Topic’s testicular cancer diagnosis, he reflected on what sitting out his entire rookie season was like, and the lessons learned while watching from the sidelines.
“It was hard, you know? I didn’t play a basketball game for a very long time, and that was really hard,” Topic said. “But, as you go through that process, you learn something about yourself that you didn’t know you had. You didn’t know how strong you were and how human bodies are strong. I’ll say I took the positives from it and learned from it.”
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Topic’s G League stint is an exciting development for the first-round pick.
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