Nikola Topic: “I feel more confident”

Aug 13, 2025 5:48 PM

Nikola Topic, selected in the lottery of the 2024 NBA Draft, had to spend his entire rookie season on the sidelines. The Oklahoma City Thunder guard underwent surgery to repair a partially torn ACL in his left knee and dedicated the year to his rehabilitation.

Looking back, Topic told Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman that the recovery process was both challenging and eye-opening.

“I didn’t play a basketball game for a very long time, and that was really hard,” he said. “But as you go through that process, you learn something about yourself that you didn’t know you had. … I took positives from it and learned from it.”

After months of grueling rehab work, the 19-year-old finally returned to competitive action in the NBA Summer League.

Across five games, he averaged 10.8 points, 5.8 assists, and 1.8 steals in 27.3 minutes per contest – showing flashes of the court vision and playmaking ability that made him a high draft pick.

Topic says the long layoff hasn’t just helped his knee heal – it’s strengthened his mindset.

“I feel more confident,” he said. “Going into a game, sleeping before a game and just everything about it, I feel way more confident.”