Nikola Topic, one of the hottest prospects in the upcoming 2024 NBA Draft class, suffered a concerning injury in Game 1 of the AdmiralBet ABA League Finals.
Topic appeared to suffer a non-contact injury on Monday that knocked the air out of the Aleksandar Nikolic Hall in Belgrade, Serbia.
Crvena guard Zvezda Meridianbet went through a routine drive and threw a pass into the corner once he got near the edge. The 18-year-old Serb collapsed to the ground along the baseline and remained on the ground for several minutes.
The subject had to be carried off the playing field by two security guards. He left the contest with two points and an assist in seven minutes of action.
Serbian point guard Nikola Topic’, a consensus Top 5 pick and possible option for the Spurs at No. 4, suffered a non-contact knee injury in Game 1 of the ABA League Finals. Topic, 18, missed four months earlier this season with an injury to the same knee. video courtesy… pic.twitter.com/cWQVn2wKjD
-Don Harris (@DonHarris4) May 14, 2024
The subject suffered a injury to the same knee in January, which kept him sidelined for nearly three months.
Topic was at least able to return to the team bench to cheer on his team after his trip to the locker room.
Crvena Zvezda held on without Topic for an 85-82 win over Partizan Mozzart Bet to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-5 championship round series.
The 6’6″ guard was considered a consensus top 5 choice during the NBA draft in June, before his latest injury. Concerns over Topic’s knee could potentially affect his draft stock.
The subject was not the only prospect who potentially hurting its stock project on Monday.
