Hailing from Nikola Jokic’s Country, Who Is Nikola Topic? Know More about Projected 8th Pick who Might Link Up with Victor Wembanyama

The NBA draft ritual is soon to begin and fans will be hearing a lot of exciting names who will make exceptional players in the years to come. One such name that has echoed strongly among the balling followers is that of Nikola Topic. Topic is projected as the eighth pick and might go to the San Antonio Spurs. 

For starters, he hails from the same country as NBA star Nikola Jokić which is Serbia. He also looks to be a good pair with Jokic if they play together at any point in time since he is a point guard and Jokic is a center. But if he goes with the Spurs then he might be the best fit to pay with Victor Wembanyama. 

Nikola Topic early life and years in basketball

Topic was born on 10th August 2005 in Novi Sad. Though he is just 18 years old, the 6 feet 6 inches baller has a lot to contribute to the NBA. In his early years only, he showed an affinity to basketball which makes him a fan favorite in the NBA 2024 draft. 

Topic played for the Crvena Zvezda of the Serbian League. Not many would know that he made his debut at the tender age of 16. He also became the youngest player to score points for the Zvezda in the ABA League. He then also debuted in the Euro League playing against Bayern Munich and the prodigy he was, made him the youngest player to play in the Euro League.

All this points to the fact that Topic was carved out for basketball ever since his growing years. However, he came into his own when he was given a chance to ply his trade for the OKK Beograd.

From Zvezda, he was loaned to Slodes but he did come back to his first team after a few months. He was then loaned to OKK Beograd and there he showed his true potential. He averaged a whopping 17.8 points per game with an exceptional 55.2% field goals. Therefore, he proved he was not to be taken lightly despite his age. But what could stop Topic is his fight with his injuries.

Nikola Topic fight with injuries and the subsequent story

Topic signed his contract with the Crvena but was loaned to Mega. There he unleashed his true potential and averaged an extraordinary 18.6 points per game. However, he had his own tough battles with injuries. He suffered a knee injury during a game against the Partizan Belgrade. After recovering from that he won the ABA League Top Prospect. 

But his happiness couldn’t last long as the 2x ABA Champion suffered an ACL tear in the Finals. This again had to be dealt with carefully and he rehabilitated for a few months. Now that Topic is in the race to be drafted in the NBA fans would be hoping that he pairs up with Wembanyama and helps the Spur go hard in the next season. 

For sure, he will be a great pick since Wembanyama lacks the athletic prowess that Topic provides, and who knows he might also learn a lot in the NBA through his compatriot Nikola Jokić. Whatever the result of the NBA 2024 draft, Topic sure seems to have a bright future ahead of him.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the Reese-Clark rivalry and more, watch this video.