Next Big Thing: What makes Nikola Topic one of the best guards in the NBA draft? – FIBA ​​EuroBasket 2025 Qualifiers

MUNICH (Germany) – Over the past 12 months, Nikola Topic has put himself on the world basketball map.

Whether it’s leading Serbia to the FIBA ​​U18 EuroBasket title, tying the all-time ANGT goalscoring record, or quickly becoming one of the best players in the Adriatic League, the he Serbian fullback has always performed at a high level at every stage of his journey. .

His path to stardom began well before 2023, however.

“HE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE AN NBA ALL-STAR.” -Corey Tulaba

“I’ve known this kid since he was two years old. He carried a ball around his house all day long,” recalls Slobodan Sarenac, a basketball commentator for Serbian television who has watched countless basketball players. ball from the Balkans over the past three years. decades, notably Nikola’s father Milenko, who won several titles while representing Yugoslavia, including the 1997 FIBA ​​EuroBasket and the 1998 FIBA ​​Basketball World Cup.

Nikola’s basketball journey would eventually lead him to the junior ranks of Crvena Zvezda, one of Serbia’s basketball powerhouses, where he stood out from a young age.

“He has been at Red Star since the age of 15, when he came from Novi Sad,” said the club’s sporting director, Milan Dozet. in a recent interview with Stefan Lazarevic for the Serbian newspaper Telegraf. “He showed he was a great talent and carried his team through all age categories.”

After auspicious performances at several youth tournaments across Europe, Topic made his senior debut at just 16 years old, playing three matches for Red Star in the Adriatic League and Euroleague. However, this would be just a preview of Topic’s dominance in the European junior basketball scene that would soon follow.

IIn April 2023, Topic tied the all-time ANGT record with a 49-point outing against Next Generation Belgrade. More impressive than his numbers was the way he did it, as Topic dished out 12 assists in the same game, finding open teammates and consistently making the right play.

This play perfectly encapsulates the way Topic approaches basketball, maintaining an unselfish mindset even in moments where he is able to take control of games with his scoring ability. “Basketball is a game of decisions,” explained Topic in a recent interview with ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. “It’s a mental game. The player who makes a decision faster, that person will win.”

“THEY GAVE ME FREEDOM, BELIEVED IN ME. WITHOUT THEM THIS WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE.”– Subject on his time at Mega

Ultimately, his relentlessness to attack the rim off the dribble and his passing vision are two skills that work in unison. “He can already make every pass read in the book. His playmaking ability is so devastating because he’s so lethal around the hoop as a scorer,” says Corey Tulabasearch for the NBA Draft website No ceilings. “When he enters the box the defense has to collapse and is now at his mercy as the decision maker.”

As impressive as it was, his performance at ANGT for Red Star was only a proof of concept of what was to come the following summer, where Topic led Serbia to a FIBA ​​U18 title EuroBasket at home.

Topic won the MVP award by averaging 15.3 points, 5.1 assists and 2.0 steals per game, but the impact of this tournament on his career goes beyond the accolades.

“The European Championship in Nis was extremely important for his development,” said Sarenac. “I watched him dominate his generation, bringing Serbia a lot of joy and success. All of this helped him become a more mature player and a great leader, and then move into senior basketball with confidence.”

Crvena Zvezda would sign Topic to a four-year deal shortly after his performance at EuroBasket U18 and loan him to another team in Belgrade: NBA prospect factory Mega Basket. “It was a joint conversation with Topic, his father and his agent,” Dozet said. “We came to the conclusion that it was better for him to get some playing time.”

“What is good for us and for him is that he very quickly showed that he had reached the level of the Adriatic League,” added Dozet, “and according to his statistics this season, he has exceeds”.

Topic came out with a bang in the 2023-24 Adriatic League season, quickly establishing himself as one of the best players in the league – averaging 18.6 points and 6.9 assists per game, in leading the league, while shooting 52% from the field. After just 13 games, Topic would be recalled by Red Star.

Subject is grateful for his time at Mega. “It helped me a lot,” he said in a recent interview for the Serbian site Meridian Sport. “They gave me freedom, they believed in me. Without them this wouldn’t be possible.” However, her place in the world is with Crvena Zvezda. “My dream for many years was to play for Red Star,” Topic told ESPN. “I grew up being a fan of this club. It will mean everything to me to play in front of 20,000 Red Star fans.”

“I saw him dominate against his generation, bringing immense joy and success to Serbia.”– Slobodan Sarenac, Serbian television commentator

Unfortunately, in just his third game in the red and white jersey, Topic suffered a knee injury that has kept him sidelined since early January, causing him to miss the first qualifying window for FIBA ​​EuroBasket 2025 , where he probably would have been an important player. part of the team. Still, this setback won’t stop many from being optimistic about Topic’s future with the Serbian national team.

“He’s a great passer, he has great vision,” said Sarenac. “Serbia hasn’t had a leader like that for years, and finally he showed himself.”

Dozet, who has seen Topic’s rise from junior to top prospect, feels the same way. “I think he is truly the pearl not only of Red Star but of Serbian basketball and for me someone who should lead the national team in the coming years.”

The next step could be the NBA, as Topic is projected by several media outlets as one of the top point guards and a potential top-five selection in the upcoming NBA draft. Fit with the team that selects him will certainly be important as with any prospect, but Sarenac is cautious. “I think it will take him a year or two to adapt. I would just like him to end up on a team where he has the ball in his hands, with the opportunity to create and score.”

Tulaba, however, sees a bright future for the Serbian sensation. “I think the game has shifted towards players like Topic, who possess a combination of size and positional skills. He has the potential to become an NBA All-Star,” he said before concluding that “Topic is the kind of player who plays.” on winning NBA teams.

Considering his history of leadership and victories at every level of competition he has played at during his career, it should come as no surprise that Topic will do just that in the near future, both for Serbian national team and for any team that selects him. in the upcoming NBA draft.

FIBA