Nikola Topic makes long-awaited NBA debut for OKC Thunder

After a year and a half of waiting to make his NBA debut, what are a few more seconds?

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Nikola Topic made his way to the scorer’s table in the middle of a Thursday night fight with the Bucks, and fans throughout the arena began to stir excitedly. All it takes is one stop for him to finally be able to set foot on the NBA floor.

Then, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault called a timeout, thus delaying the sporting moment of the year by a few seconds. Topic would return to the OKC bench for one last time with the silent crowd.

For years, Topic’s NBA journey was defined by quiet work, outside the spotlight.

His first season with the Thunder organization was marked by rehabilitation from a serious knee injury suffered before his draft.

Topic’s training days were different than his counterpart’s, doing general strength training or just working on his shot. He watched from the bench as his Thunder teammates had the best season in franchise history, winning the then-elusive Larry O’Brien Trophy.

After almost a full calendar year of behind-the-scenes work, Topic finally found his way back to the hardwood, appearing in the 2025 Summer League and in a preseason game for Oklahoma City. He averaged a game-high assists per game in Las Vegas and displayed a fine line against Charlotte in the preseason opener.

His journey would then encounter another obstacle.

In October 2025, Topic would be diagnosed with testicular cancer, taking a path few others in NBA history have followed by beginning chemotherapy shortly after.

There have been few updates amid this process, as Topic has worked with oncologists at the University of Oklahoma and MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Although his silent work persists through videos of empty gyms and jumps.

By a update in early January from Topic’s agent, Misko RaznatovicTopic successfully completed chemotherapy and would return to the training process.

After what seemed like a long wait by NBA standards, the deafening ovation from the Paycom Center crowd would finally signal the official start of Nikola Topic’s NBA career.

“Loud City,” as the Oklahoma City crowd is known, has earned a strong reputation with its devoted fans and smaller-than-normal arena, making it one of the loudest venues in sports.

Thursday’s ovation carried even more weight behind the cheers.

The crowd would continue to applaud even as Topic took the court with the basketball in hand, seconds later delivering a crisp pass to Jaylin Williams that would become the first of many career assists.

“I’m just thrilled for him, he’s obviously been through a lot of adversity in his life over the last couple of years,” Daigneault said after the game. “He’s a young man that all he wants to do is play basketball, and that’s been taken away from him multiple times. For him to work to this point and get on the court is a great accomplishment.”

Topic’s emotionally charged debut overshadowed the fact that he’s a legitimate talent. Prior to his pre-draft knee injury, he was considered one of the top talents in the 2024 draft cycle, providing best-in-class passing and feel.

He earned the first points of his career in the pick-and-roll alongside new All-Star Chet Holmgren, moving smoothly into the midrange. He would finish his very first stint with two points, an assist and a rebound.

“It was just a unique pocket to bring him into our team, with very little expectations from a performance standpoint,” Daigneault said. “It’s really remarkable what chemotherapy does to your body, it’s amazing what it does to you physically. And so the road back is different for everyone, and it’s very difficult.

“If his peak athleticism is 10 out of 10, he’s not even close to that right now – it would be unfair to rate him in that context, we’re just happy he came out tonight and is on that good path.”

Even if former Thunder forward Ousmane Dieng rained down triples en route to a Bucks victory, the energy wouldn’t be dampened. Topic’s NBA debut marked a victory not only for a 20-year-old who fought time and time again to make his dream a reality, but also for others who sought to do the same. His pick-and-roll partner in Holmgren echoed that sentiment.

“He could have made 100 shots or missed 100 shots, it’s an incredible game for him.”