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Sam Presti, the General Manager of the Oklahoma City Thunder, has revealed that Nikola Topić has been diagnosed with testicular cancer.
The Serbian point guard, who has faced injury challenges in his brief career, is now undergoing a medical procedure related to his condition.
“At the start of training camp, he had a surgical procedure that was essential for determining whether Nikola had testicular cancer. The biopsy results have confirmed that he is indeed battling this illness,” said Presti.
The GM also shared some “positive” updates about Topić’s situation.
“He is under the care of a highly skilled team of oncologists who are very optimistic. It’s important to highlight that testicular cancer has one of the highest cure rates among cancers affecting men. He has been advised to begin chemotherapy.”
Presti stated that Topić has already initiated this treatment.
“Topić preferred to keep this information private until he began his therapy, which he has recently started.”
As anticipated, basketball is currently not his primary focus.
“He is present during the entire process, participating in training, but we all recognize that it will be a challenging journey ahead. The medical staff remains hopeful about his long-term prognosis. Right now, his recovery takes precedence. Our only expectation is that he concentrates on this. That is the priority. He will return to play basketball when he is able, and we do not have any expectations in that regard. We fully support him with love and encouragement.”
In June 2024, the Oklahoma City Thunder drafted Topić as the 12th overall pick in the NBA Draft. However, just weeks prior to the draft, he suffered a partial ACL tear during the European playoffs, a significant setback that has delayed his NBA debut.
