FIGHTING SPIRIT

NBA Player, 20, Announces Cancer Diagnosis

The team’s general manager, Sam Presti, told reporters that Nikola Topic’s doctors are “extremely positive” about his treatment

Oklahoma City Thunder player Nikola Topic has been diagnosed with testicular cancer, the team’s manager said Thursday. The 20-year-old guard, who was the No. 12 pick in the 2024 draft, will delay his debut in the league to undergo chemotherapy treatment. The team’s general manager, Sam Presti, told reporters that Topic’s doctors are “extremely positive” about his treatment. Presti said that Topic was diagnosed after he underwent a biopsy procedure at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston in early October. He did not want the news of his diagnosis to be shared with the public before he started his treatment. “Our only expectations for him are to focus on this,” Presti said. While the player has been training and working out, the team’s administration said they are “not putting any time length or expectations” on the start of his NBA debut. The Serbian player has had a rough start to his basketball career, as he was not able to play last season due to a torn ACL.