Nikola Topic: Oklahoma City Thunder guard, 20, diagnosed with cancer

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Nikola Topic, 20, has been diagnosed with testicular cancer and has begun chemotherapy treatment.

Nikola Topic underwent a biopsy procedure at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston on October 6. The results of the biopsy have revealed that he is dealing with testicular cancer. According to the team's general manager, Sam Presti, doctors are extremely positive about Topic's long-term health outlook.

Topic had initially been hesitant to make his diagnosis public until he had begun treatment. However, he has been working out and training throughout this process, showing resilience in the face of his illness. His oncologists have expressed confidence that he can overcome this challenge with the right care and support.

The Thunder organization is standing behind their young player, offering total support, encouragement, and love as he navigates his treatment. There is no estimated time frame for Topic's return to playing basketball, with Presti emphasizing that his focus should be on getting better.

Topic was selected 12th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft but missed the majority of the previous season due to a serious knee injury. The Thunder won the championship without him, but now they are rallying around their teammate as he tackles this difficult road ahead.

Man I'm so done with the fact that top athletes are getting diagnosed with cancer and still managing to be super popular Like Topic's all 20 and got testicular cancer already, it's just not fair I guess at least he's getting a good team behind him tho, the Thunder is always gonna have his back But seriously though, how hard does it really take for a team to win a championship without one of their starters? Did they even need him to win?

Man, sad to see Topic go through this , hope chemo kicks cancer's butt ASAP , team's got his back , and we're all rooting for him!

awww man he's so young! testicular cancer is super scary... I hope he gets all the treatment and support he needs and come back stronger on the court it's crazy how fast life can change like that, one minute you're crushing it on the court and the next you're in chemo... I just wanna give him a big hug and wish him all the best! the team is super supportive which is amazing gotta be tough for him to keep his emotions in check while going through this... let's all send our positive vibes his way

OMG u guyz!! so Nikolai Topic got cancer tho... like what's the point of even being 20 if u already gotta be fighting for ur life?? i know ppl r sayin he's strong and all that but honestly dont we need more ppl to speak out about this kinda stuff? topic's like our kid here & we should b rallyn around him!! anyway i'm not a doctor or nothin so can someone pls explain how they found cancer in the first place?? was it like a random test or what??

I'm so sorry to hear about Nikola Topic's diagnosis . This makes me think about how our society treats its young athletes when they're dealing with serious health issues. We're all rooting for him, and it's awesome that the Thunder organization is being super supportive. But let's be real, this situation highlights the importance of having a solid social safety net and access to quality healthcare for all, not just those in high-profile sports.

It's also interesting to consider how Topic's diagnosis might affect his future career prospects and the NBA's concussion protocols . As someone who's been following the topic (pun intended), I think it's crucial that we have a better understanding of how players like him can navigate their careers while prioritizing their health and well-being.

Overall, let's keep Nikola Topic in our thoughts and prayers as he navigates this tough time .

oh man this is super scary for nikola topic's career and life, 20 is still pretty young to go through all this, hope his chemo goes well gotta feel for the team too, they're gonna miss him on the court, but at least they're being supportive and positive it's great that doctors are optimistic about his long-term health outlook tho can only imagine how tough it must be for him to deal with all this, fingers crossed he comes out of chemo feeling better and back to normal soon

just thinking about nika's situation is giving me chills i mean, 20 years old and already dealing with cancer? it's like, we should all be taking care of ourselves more, you know? and the fact that he was hesitant to share his diagnosis until after treatment... it just shows how strong he is . as a fan, it's amazing to see the thunder squad coming together for him - they're really showing what it means to have a supportive team . hopefully nika can beat this thing and get back on the court soon

OMG what a crappy break for the young dude ! 20 years old and already dealing with testicular cancer... that's just not fair . I've been following his career since like last season, he showed so much potential on the court . It's great to see the team rallying around him though, they're lucky to have a supportive org behind them . Hopefully, the chemo treatment goes smoothly and he comes back stronger than ever . Sending positive vibes his way !

OMG just read about Nikola Topic getting diagnosed with testicular cancer and I'm literally shook what's wrong with our world? can't people get some good news for once?! anyway, gotta give it to him, the kid's being super strong about it missing out on most of last season due to a knee injury was tough enough but now this?! poor guy needs all our love and support hope he gets the best care possible and comes back stronger than ever

Testicular cancer is so tough on young athletes , gotta be all positive vibes for Nikola Topic!

[Image of Grumpy Cat with a cancer ribbon on its collar ]

can't believe what's happening to nikola topic but on a more positive note, it's amazing that he's not giving up and is still crushing out & training while going through chemo his positivity is infectious and the thunder org is super supportive, that's all we need to see right now

just saw this on socials and gotta say, really sad for nikola topic , only 20 and already dealing with cancer . gotta give it to him tho, showing up to training and working out while going thru chemo is super inspiring . the team's support means everything to me too , we're all rooting for him to get better . the NBA's got some amazing young players but this is just plain heartbreak

omg cancer sucks Topic's so brave 20 yrs old and already dealing with life threatening stuff at least his doc's positive and the team's got his back we all wanna support him hope he kick's this ASAP and gets back on court soon

its so harsh when u hear about someone young get diagnosed with cancer like nikola topic I feel bad for the guy, hope his chemo treatment goes smooth and he comes out on top . its not just about him tho, his team & fans gotta rally 'round him 2 show some love & support. we should all take a sec 2 wish him well & be grateful 4 good health . cancer sucks, but there r people like Topic who are stronger dan u think & still kickin'

awww man Nikolay Topic is going through so much right now and it's crazy that we're even talking about him playing in the NBA... i feel like he should be with his family right now getting all the support he needs not dealing with testicular cancer the Thunder organization is being super supportive but at the end of the day, Nikolay just wants to get better and focus on his health it's sad that he had to hide his diagnosis for so long but I'm glad he's speaking out now and getting the help he needs the NBA should be prioritizing player well-being over everything else, it's time for a change

omg u gotta feel bad for nikola topic his whole life just turned upside down like that... i mean its super brave of him to wanna share his diagnosis publically tho... all the love & support 4 our young guy hope he gets thru this & comes back stronger than ever gotta root 4 him & the thunders organization r doin a great job takin care of him

aww poor nikola topic , just found out that testicular cancer is really bad news... i hope he's doing alright on his chemo treatment tho the nba team should be all proud of him for being so brave and working out during this tough time... gotta say, the thunder are lucky to have a player like nikola who's got heart it's crazy that he was hesitant to share his diagnosis at first, but now everyone's rallying around him the whole basketball community is sending their positive vibes & support

awww man cancer sucks... I'm so worried about Nikola Topic his age is like super young to deal with all this... I hope he gets the best treatment and beats this thing everyone in the Thunder organization should get a big shoutout for being so supportive, it's great to see them rally around their teammate Topic seems like a real trooper for staying positive despite everything he's going through fingers crossed for him