Thunder guard Nikola Topić grateful for support from team, fans
· Yahoo Sports
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Nikola Topić on Friday thanked the organization and fans for their support after undergoing treatment for testicular cancer.
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Topić completed three rounds of chemotherapy last month and was eventually cleared to return to play basketball. He made two appearances in the G League before debuting with the Thunder on Feb. 12, logging 12 minutes in a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.
The 20-year-old helped the Thunder to a 105-86 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday in his second game, recording nine points, three rebounds and two assists in 11 minutes. Speaking for the first time since his diagnosis, Topić is happy to be back on the court.
"It was pretty weird at first," Topić said. "I'm getting back into the feel of the game again. I was out for a while, and it was helping coming back. I was catching myself doing stuff I was never doing before. It was pretty tough to adjust to that, but every game was better. First game in the G League; the second game was better. First game here was OK; second one was better. I think it'll only get better."
Topić is playing consistently now for the first time since suffering a torn ACL while playing with Crvena zvezda in the ABA League Finals in May 2024. He missed all of last season while recovering from the injury and eventually played in summer league and one game in the preseason.
The Serbian will ramp up his workload over the coming weeks, and he could play a pivotal role for the team as it deals with several injuries to key players. Certainly, the team will be cautious with his minutes after missing so much time.
The Thunder rallied around Topić throughout his treatment and is thrilled to see him back playing basketball. They helped push Topić throughout his recovery, and he is forever indebted to the group, the fans and those closest to him.
"I got to thank the Thunder organization as a whole," Topić said. "From the players to the coaching staff to the medical staff to the front office. I mean, they were so supportive of everything and the whole process. Of course, the fans, too. So thank you for life. Basically, I'll remember that for the rest of my life. I'll try to kind of say thank you on the court."
This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Thunder news: Nikola Topić grateful for support from team, fans