Nikola Topić made his NBA debut on Thursday
Nikola Topić made his NBA debut on Thursday | Photo by Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images
Second-year guard Nikola Topić made his NBA debut Thursday night when he took the floor for the Thunder against the Milwaukee Bucks.
How did Nikola Topić perform in his NBA debut?
What did Topić’s Thunder teammates and coach Mark Daigneault have to say?
“It speaks to the strength of [Topić] and who he is as a person. It would have been very justified for him to weigh everybody around him down and sulk and be mad at the world. The kid he is, he doesn’t deserve that. We’re all just so happy he was able to battle through that, get back to hooping. You see a lot bigger smile on his face when he’s able to be out there with his shoes on.”
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault shared a similar sentiment, both excited for the incredible step the NBA debut was for Topić and what he can bring the team moving forward.
He was thrilled that Topić was able to work himself back onto the floor and make his debut, providing a feel-good night for the Thunder before the All-Star break even though Oklahoma City wasn’t able to come out with a win.
Nikola Topić’s health and injury history
Topić missed the entirety of last season with a torn ACL after the Thunder made him the 12th pick in the NBA draft. In early October, the team announced he would miss the start of the season after undergoing a testicular procedure. Later that month, Presti told reporters that Topić was diagnosed with testicular cancer and started chemotherapy treatments. He made his G League debut earlier this week before he was able to make his NBA debut on Thursday.
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