Oklahoma City Thunder guard Nikola Topić made his NBA debut on Thursday against the Milwaukee Bucks after completing treatment for testicular cancer.
Topić finished with two points, one rebounds and one assist in a 110-93 loss against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Paycom Center. He went 1-of-3 from the field in 12 minutes, 22 seconds of work off the bench in his first game since May 13, 2024.
The 20-year-old checked in late in the first quarter to a standing ovation from the 18,203 on hand at the game. Just 17 seconds later, Topić delivered a left-handed pass to a cutting Jaylin Williams in the paint for his first assist and later hit a 14-foot pull-up shot for his first points.
A standing ovation for Nikola Topić 👏
— NBA (@NBA) February 13, 2026
The 12th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft is making his NBA debut for the @okcthunder tonight!
Tap to watch: https://t.co/H43cOyWuWnpic.twitter.com/J72f4kQMiN
Thunder general manager Sam Presti announced on Oct. 30 that Topić was diagnosed with testicular cancer after undergoing a biopsy in Houston, Texas. He immediately started chemotherapy to treat the cancer, which was completed in early January, his agent announced.
Topić, who missed all of last year with an ACL injury, continued working out while receiving chemotherapy. He was cleared by the organization to return to game action this week, logging two appearances with the OKC Blue in the G League before debuting with the Thunder.
The Thunder rallied around Topić throughout his treatment and is thrilled to see him playing basketball again. While it remains to be seen what his role will be for the rest of the season, the organization is certainly ecstatic to have him back on the court.
This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Thunder news: Nikola Topić makes NBA debut after cancer diagnosis