Oklahoma City Thunder's Nikola Topić Diagnosed with Testicular Cancer at 20

Oklahoma City Thunder player Nikola Topić has been diagnosed with testicular cancer, general manager Sam Presti said.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Oct. 30, Presti revealed that Topić, 20, had a biopsy earlier this month that led to his diagnosis, and has since begun chemotherapy treatments.

"He had a testicular procedure at the very beginning of training camp," Presti told reporters, calling the procedure "necessary" for Topić's biopsy.

"The results of the biopsy have returned and he is dealing with a case of testicular cancer," Presti confirmed.

The Thunder's general manager said Topić has "a tremendous group of oncologists" working on his treatment, "and they are extremely positive about his outlook in dealing with this situation." Presti added that it's "important to note that testicular is the most cured form of cancer among males."

Presti said that Topić wanted to wait to share his diagnosis until after he started chemotherapy. "He didn't want to make this information public until he had begun the actual treatments, which he has recently," said the general manager.

Amid treatments, Topić has remained active. "He's been in here, he's training, he's working out," Presti shared, adding that the team is placing "no expectations" on their player to return to the court before he's ready. "

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"But, as we all know, this will be a challenging treatment process to go through, but the team of physicians he has are extremely positive," said Presti. "In terms of our expectations, our only expectation for him is to focus on this. This is his most important priority."

Topić's Oklahoma City teammates "have been amazing" amid his diagnosis, said Presti, who went on to commend the 20-year-old for his strength. Presti described Topić as a "really remarkable guy, extremely mature, composed, resilient."

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"He has all the tools for somebody to take on and conquer the situation," Presti said before also describing the situation as a "private matter" in some aspects.

Topić, from Serbia, was drafted by the Thunder in 2024 with the 12th overall pick, but was forced to sit out the entire 2024-2025 season while recovering from a torn ACL. He intended to make his NBA debut this fall, before his cancer diagnosis.