By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Nikola Topic was the 12th overall pick of the NBA Draft 2024 presented by State Farm. However, he was forced to the sidelines for the entire 2024-25 season, after having surgery to repair a torn ACL due to an injury in late May 2024, at the bottom end of his spell with Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet.
“It would probably be even better just if I played, but it was an amazing experience,” he said in preseason media day on Monday, talking about being stuck on the injury list throughout the championship run of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Medically cleared, the 20-year-old Serbian point guard returned to action in the NBA 2K26 Summer League.
“I did a lot of good things,” Topic painted the picture of a complicated offseason resurgence, “Just to play the game that I love, it was pretty amazing. It was weird at first. It was like, ‘What do I do now? Do I sleep? Do I eat? When do I do stuff? Do I take a nap?’ But later on, it was all better, and I think it will only get better.”
The next step toward his official debut with the defending NBA champions is training camp.
“Just to be able to play with these guys, who are great, and just to be a part of the team now, it feels amazing,” he added during preseason media day on Monday.
Superstars the likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have been helpful in his early-career path.
“Everybody has something to say and has some advice that they can give,” Topic praised his teammates, “I’m excited to get to know them, to try to make them better, and just to try to help my team get as many wins as we can get.”