Thunder guard Nikola Topic
NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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The Thunder relied on a ton of young players to win a title en route to beating the Pacers in the NBA Finals. Nikola Topic was unable to contribute due to the injury that sidelined him ahead of what would have been his rookie season, but he still managed to get a ring and made some history in the process.
In 2024, the Oklahoma City Thunder snapped a three-year playoff drought and finished over .500 for the first time since it began en route to losing to the Mavericks in the second round of the playoffs.
It was pretty clear the franchise was heading in the right direction after assembling a crew of talented young players, and the squad of guys that boasted an average age of a little over 24 years at the start of the 2024-25 campaign trailed only the Celtics when it came to the teams with the best odds to win a title before things kicked off.
Oklahoma City lived up to the hype by going 68-14 during the regular season ahead of a playoff run they capped off on Sunday by beating the Pacers in Game 7 to secure the Larry O’Brien Trophy, and they became the youngest NBA team to win a championship since the Trail Blazers got a title in 1977.
Prior to the start of the season, the Thunder welcomed another young player into the fold when they selected Serbian point guard Nikola Topic with the 12th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
The 6’6″ 19-year-old signed a four-year contract worth a little over $20 million ahead of the season, but he was ultimately unable to suit up after undergoing surgery for the torn ACL he suffered before he was able to make his debut.
However, he was still a member of the active roster during the season, and according to Hoops Hype, he subsequently became the first player in NBA history to earn a championship ring before appearing in a single game.
Per our research, Nikola Topic would be the first player to win an NBA title before playing an NBA game. https://t.co/4J9uWPiUJ6
— HoopsHype (@hoopshype) June 23, 2025
You could technically argue Collin Gillespie beat him to the punch when the Nuggets won in 2023 (he broke his leg before the start of the season and didn’t play in a single game). However, he was on a two-way contract while Topic was firmly a member of the Thunder.
Alex Caruso joked about getting his first “real” championship with the Thunder this year after earning his first one with the Lakers in The Bubble in 2020, and Topic will presumably get the chance to do the same if he’s healthy enough to help OKC in its quest to defend its title next season.