Nikola Topić Makes Emotional NBA Debut Months After Cancer Battle
OKLAHOMA CITY - There are moments in sports that transcend the scoreboard, and Thursday night at the Paycom Center gave us one of those. Nikola Topić, just four months removed from a testicular cancer diagnosis, stepped onto an NBA court for the first time as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder. And while the Thunder ultimately fell to the Milwaukee Bucks 110-93, the night belonged to the 2024 first-round pick and the journey that brought him to this point.
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault had hinted before the game that Topić might see the floor, but there were no guarantees. Then, late in the first quarter, Daigneault called his number. Topić checked in to a standing ovation from the Oklahoma City crowd - a powerful moment that wasn’t about stats or strategy, but about resilience.
“Thrilled for him,” Daigneault said postgame. “He’s obviously been through a ton of adversity in his life in his last couple of years. He’s a young guy that all he wants to do is play basketball, and that’s been taken from him a couple of different times.”
Topić’s journey hasn’t been an easy one. Diagnosed in October, he underwent three rounds of chemotherapy - a grueling physical and emotional battle that would sideline most athletes indefinitely. But through it all, he stayed focused on one thing: getting back on the court.
“For him to work himself to this point, get himself on the floor, is a great accomplishment,” Daigneault continued. “I loved watching the team respond to him both during and after the game, and I can’t help but think of his family, as well.”
Daigneault, who has young children of his own, reflected on the toll the diagnosis must have taken not just on Topić, but on everyone close to him.
Mark Daigneault on Nikola Topić’s NBA debut for the Thunder: “Thrilled for him. He’s obviously been through a lot of adversity in his life the last couple of years…
— Josue Pavón (@Joe_Sway) February 13, 2026
For him to work himself to this point, get himself on the floor, is a great accomplishment… can’t help but think… pic.twitter.com/lTHL3GH5A3
“It hasn’t been just him. He’s got a wonderful family that loves him very much that was through this with him the entire time. So, I’m thrilled for them, and certainly a very feel-good night for his family, for him, and for our team despite the fact that we didn’t play our best game.”
Topić logged 12 minutes in his debut, finishing with two points, one assist, and one rebound. The stat line may not jump off the page, but that’s not what this night was about. This was about a player reclaiming his dream after having it put on pause in the most unexpected and life-altering way.
Daigneault was quick to keep expectations in check, reminding everyone that this is just the beginning of Topić’s return - not the end.
“He played two very short stretches of Blue minutes earlier this week,” Daigneault said, referring to Topić’s brief run with the Thunder’s G League affiliate. “This was just a unique pocket to get him in with our team, with very little expectations from a performance standpoint.”
And that’s key. Topić is still climbing his way back physically. Chemotherapy takes a heavy toll on the body, and Daigneault made it clear that the 19-year-old is far from peak form.
“If his peak athleticism is a 10 out of 10, he’s not even close to that right now in terms of conditioning, athleticism, strength - all the things that [treatment] does to your body,” he explained. “It would be unfair to evaluate him in this context.
We’re just happy he got out there tonight and is on that track back. That’s the most important thing.”
For a Thunder team that’s been navigating ups and downs - Thursday’s loss marked their third in five games - Topić’s return offered a moment of perspective. Wins and losses matter, but nights like this remind us why we watch in the first place.
Nikola Topić didn’t just make his NBA debut. He made a statement - about perseverance, about heart, and about the power of sport to uplift in the face of adversity. And while the box score will show a modest line, anyone who watched knows the impact was far greater.