Nikola Topic

Nikola Topic's Biography

Nikola Topić is a Serbian professional basketball player, standing at 6-feet 6-inches tall, whose notable skills have led him to play for the Oklahoma City Thunder, a reputable team of the National Basketball Association (NBA). With a confident swagger and solid game on the court, Topić was born on 10 August 2005, and he has made remarkable strides in the world of professional basketball as a talented point guard.

Growing up in Novi Sad, Topić developed his love for basketball and honed his skills with the local team, KK Defense. His natural talent and dedication facilitated a move to the prestigious Crvena zvezda youth system in June 2020, marking a significant step in his budding basketball career.

Continuing his fast-paced development, Topić made his professional debut for Crvena zvezda on 28 March 2022 in an ABA League match against Slovenian team Krka, being only 16 years old. This performance saw him scoring 4 points and delivering 5 assists in just 16 minutes on the court. To make this outing more memorable, Topić wrote his name in the annals of the club’s history, becoming the youngest player to score points for Crvena zvezda in the ABA League.

He made his EuroLeague debut shortly thereafter, on 1 April 2022, during a game against Bayern Munich. Oddly, Topić emerged as one of the youngest players in the history of the EuroLeague, aged only 16 years and 253 days.

As the 2022–23 season commenced, Topić had a brief stint with the Serbian team Slodes, after being loaned in September 2022. However, he quickly returned to Crvena zvezda, playing with them from October until December of the same year. While his role was limited during this period, he managed an average of 3.4 points over seven ABA League games.

In January 2023, Topić’s transfer to FMP Meridian was cancelled by the ABA League, leaving him to be loaned to OKK Beograd for the remainder of the 2022–23 season. Here, he flourished, competing in 19 games of the Serbian League, where he marked an impressive average of 17.8 points on 55.2% shooting, alongside 5.3 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game.

Following the successful period with OKK Beograd, Topić signed his first professional contract with Crvena zvezda on 17 July 2023. He started the 2023–24 season being loaned to the Mega, another Serbian team. Again, he made strong impressions, averaging 18.6 points, 6.9 assists, and 3.7 rebounds over 13 games, before being loaned back to Crvena zvezda in December 2023.

However, adversity visited Topić early in the New Year, suffering a knee injury while playing against Partizan Belgrade in January 2024. Undeterred, he bounced back and later in April, was accoladed as the ABA League’s Top Prospect, capturing more than half of the votes while averaging 17.9 points, 6.8 assists, and 3.6 rebounds.

In June 2024, Topić’s career trajectory spiked as he was selected as the twelfth pick by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA draft. Excitedly, he signed with the Thunder in July, but unfortunately, Topić was anticipated to miss the entire 2024–25 season due to a surgery requirement on his partially torn ACL, suffered while playing against Partizan in May 2024.

Having international experience from August 2021 when he was a member of the Serbian under-16 national team that participated at the FIBA U16 European Challengers in Novi Sad, Serbia, Topić stood out in a game against the Czech Republic, recording 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists in a resounding 83–52 victory. He represented the Serbian national team again in August 2023, playing a friendly match against Puerto Rico.

The apple didn’t fall far from the tree when we talk about Nikola Topić. A son of Milenko Topić, a respected Serbian basketball coach and former player, he surely inherited his father’s passion for the game. His father had a remarkable career in professional basketball, having played most of his career in the YUBA League for teams like Profikolor, BFC Beočin, and Crvena zvezda. Also, Milenko is a decorated international player, having represented Yugoslavia, and winning gold medals at the EuroBasket 1997 and the 1998 FIBA World Championship, a silver medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics, and a bronze at the EuroBasket 1999.