Thunder player who made history by winning title before even playing a game
The Oklahoma City Thunder made NBA history in more ways than one on Sunday night. Not only did OKC win the 2025 NBA Finals in a thrilling seven-game series over the Indiana Pacers, but they also had a player make league history in a way that might never be repeated. Serbian point guard Nikola Topic officially became the first player to win an NBA title before ever stepping foot on the court in a game.
Advertisement
Topic, who was drafted No. 12 overall by the Thunder in the 2024 NBA Draft, spent the entire season sidelined with a partially torn ACL. While he never suited up during the Thunder's playoff run, he remained on the active roster and was part of the team throughout the campaign. The 19-year-old now enters NBA trivia books as a true outlier among rookies to secure their first championship.
According to a post from HoopsHype on BlueSky, the moment was officially confirmed.
'Per our research, Nikola Topic would be the first player to win an NBA title before playing an NBA game.'
Topic is no stranger to big moments. Before arriving in the NBA, he earned the 2023–24 ABA League Top Prospect Award, averaging 15.1 points and 5.9 assists across 18 appearances. The Serbian standout helped Crvena zvezda win the Adriatic League title before suffering a knee injury in May 2024, just weeks before being drafted.
Advertisement
After undergoing surgery in July 2024, Topic was ruled out for the entire 2024-25 NBA season. Despite never logging a single minute, his NBA journey already includes a championship ring. League rules permit all rostered players to receive rings, and Topic remained engaged with the squad during rehab and travel, providing a supportive presence behind the scenes.
The title for OKC itself was historic. They became the second-youngest team in NBA history to capture the championship and did it behind a core of rising stars. Adding a fully healthy Topic next season only increases their ceiling, a defending champ who still has his debut ahead.
Topic's return in 2025-26 offers a rare storyline, an NBA champion who has never stepped foot on the court. With international pedigree and elite court vision, the Thunder believe he can become a key contributor in the seasons ahead.
As Oklahoma City looks to build a dynasty, one thing is certain, Topic's name will be attached to one of the most unique chapters in NBA history.
Related: Thunder's Jalen Williams will 'stick to Shirley Temples' after NBA Championship win
Related: Thunder's Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren in line for $247 million contract extensions
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
OKC Thunder's massive trade return named NBA's best in last decade
The Oklahoma City Thunder are on top of the NBA world after winning their first title in 2025. No doubt, much of that championship can be attributed to the brilliant trading of general manager Sam Presti. Presti has been at the helm of the franchise since 2007, and has overseen some massive changes during that time. Advertisement Perhaps no trade has had a bigger impact than Presti's trade of Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers in 2019. The Thunder acquired George in the summer of 2017 to make up for the loss of Kevin Durant. George had a successful tenure with the Thunder, earning All-Star selections in both of his seasons. However, Presti decided to ship George out in the summer of 2019 for a massive haul that included franchise star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. In total, the Thunder received, Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, Miami's 2021 unprotected first-round pick (Tre Mann), 2022 unprotected first-round pick (Jalen Williams), Miami's 2023 lottery-protected first-round pick (Jaime Jaquez Jr.), 2023 first-round swap (unexercised), 2024 unprotected first-round pick (Dillon Jones), 2025 first-round swap (No. 24, up from No. 30), and a 2026 unprotected first-round pick. Gilgeous-Alexander alone would've made this more than worth it, but add in Jalen Williams and all the other picks, and this is a massive haul. Advertisement Dan Favale of Bleacher Report recently ranked this haul as the biggest of the last 10 years. Regarding the swap, Favale offered the following: Even if we remove the benefit of hindsight, this return for the Thunder wins in a borderline landslide. Five first-round picks, two swaps and a promising prospect is a return unlike anything else we've seen the past 10 years, particularly when you consider that George asked Oklahoma City to facilitate his relocation to L.A.. Instead of getting railroaded by the Clippers, Thunder general manager Sam Presti essentially found a way to trade both PG and Kawhi Leonard, even though the latter never played for his team. Cake in the luxury of hindsight, and forget about it. Gilgeous-Alexander has morphed into a league MVP and head of the snake for a potential NBA champion. Another one of those selections turned into J-Dub, who's now an All-NBA player himself. Oklahoma City also turned what was the Jaquez pick into this year's No. 15 selection. As Favale mentioned, this return is unlike anything we've seen in the last decade, or perhaps ever. Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams are not only the two best players on the team, but also two of the best in the NBA. Gilgeous-Alexander won the MVP Award after his phenomenal regular season, and followed it up by winning the NBA Finals MVP. Williams, meanwhile, earned his first All-Star bid during the 2024-25 season, and appears set to be a cornerstone in OKC for years to come. Advertisement Meanwhile for the Clippers, this trade never came close to being even. If the team had won a Finals with George, it could perhaps be worth it, but the team only advanced to the Western Conference Finals once with George. Last offseason, George departed for the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency, enshrining this trade as one of the worst in recent memory, at least for the Clippers.
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
NBA big man injured day after signing $240 million contract
Jaren Jackson Jr. picked the right time to sign his huge new contract with the Memphis Grizzlies. Jackson, who inked a five-year, $240 million extension on Monday, suffered an injury on Tuesday. According to a report by ESPN, Jackson was injured during an off-site open basketball session. He will require a procedure to repair a turf toe injury in his right foot. Advertisement As of now, there is no timeline for his return to the court. Jackson, who battled injuries earlier in his career, played in 74 games for the Grizzlies last year. That marked the second-most in his seven-year career, which has all been spent with Memphis. He came just short of recording his highest point-per-game average, finishing at 22.2 with 5.6 rebounds, two assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.2 steals per game. For his career, Jackson is averaging 18.5 points with 5.5 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, 1.5 assists and a steal per night. The Grizzlies selected the 6-foot-10 power forward out of Michigan State with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. Jackson played in just 11 games during the 2020-21 season, but has seen the court in at least 57 in his other six seasons.
Yahoo
40 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Damian Lillard Linked to Warriors After Release From Bucks
Damian Lillard Linked to Warriors After Release From Bucks originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The short, strange and unfruitful Damian Lillard era for the Milwaukee Bucks is over. On Tuesday, they decided to waive Lillard after he had spent two seasons with them. Advertisement When the Bucks acquired Lillard two summers ago, they were hoping he would pry open their championship window once again. But they have now lost in the first round of the NBA playoffs three years in a row, and Lillard tore his Achilles in the first round of this year's postseason. According to Marc J. Spears, the Golden State Warriors are interested in picking up the nine-time All-Star. "Another thing I'm hearing, of the many teams that reached out to Damian Lillard, the Warriors are one of those teams," Spears said on NBA Today. Lillard is almost undeniably a future Hall of Famer, and he averaged 24.9 points and 7.1 assists for the Bucks this past season. But an Achilles injury, for someone with as much wear and tear as he has after 13 seasons, could threaten his viability as a player. Golden State Warriors are reportedly reaching out to NBA point guard Damian Im-USA TODAY Sports The Warriors made a blockbuster trade for veteran star forward Jimmy Butler in February and surged afterward, causing many to call them dark horse title contenders. But after Stephen Curry injured his hamstring, they lost in the second round of the playoffs to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Advertisement If they do end up getting Lillard, one would have to question his fit, as he's a point guard, the same position Curry plays. One would also have to wonder if he would accept a lesser role off the bench if it comes down to that. Lillard grew up in Oakland, Calif., and as Spears pointed out, he grew up going to Warriors games at the Oakland Arena, formerly known as the Oracle Arena, their old home arena in Oakland. Related: Knicks Predicted to 'Check In' on Celtics Center This NBA Offseason This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
