NBA champion Nikola Topic diagnosed with testicle cancer, Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti revealed this.
The 20-year-old Serbian point guard is already undergoing chemotherapy – just months after helping the Thunder win the NBA championship.
But he continues to train and train – despite the diagnosis – and Presti said Topic’s doctors are “extremely positive about his outlook in this situation.”
“He had testicle surgery early in training camp. This procedure was necessary…to determine whether Nikola was suffering from a case of testicular cancer,” the CEO said.
“The biopsy results have been returned and he is dealing with a case of testicular cancer. He has a wonderful group of oncologists…and they are extremely positive about his view of the situation.
Presti added: “Tope did not want to make this information public until he started the actual treatments, which he recently did. He’s been here, he’s been training, he’s been training – throughout this whole process, he’s been able to do it.
Nikola Topic is battling testicular cancer, Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti revealed.
“He has all of our support, encouragement and love,” Presti said in his statement Thursday.
“But as we all know, it will be a difficult treatment process to follow, but the team of doctors around him are extremely positive about his long-term prospects.”
The general manager said the Thunder’s “only expectation” of Topic — a 2024 first-round pick — is to focus on his battle with cancer. “That’s his biggest priority – he’ll come back and play basketball when he’s able to, but obviously we’re not expecting anything on that,” Presti said.
“He has all our support, encouragement and love. The guys on the team were incredible. Tope is a truly remarkable guy… extraordinarily mature, composed, resilient.
“It has all the tools you could ask for, for someone to be able to face and overcome this situation.”
In 2008, Nuggets forward Nene underwent surgery to treat testicular cancer. He returned to the court and played in the NBA until 2020.
