Why Nikola Jokic’s OKC visit meant more than a Thunder-Nuggets game
· Yahoo Sports
Nikola Jokić had more than a season opener on his Oklahoma City itinerary.
Before the Nuggets faced the Thunder on Thursday night, the three-time NBA MVP looked forward to catching up with a close friend.
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“To be honest, I'm going to see my friend Nikola Topić in Oklahoma,” Jokic told reporters Wednesday. “So, we're going to have dinner. We're going to probably watch some games, have some fun.”
Topić missed OKC’s 96-84 home-opening victory over Denver with a back injury, the latest setback in a career repeatedly interrupted by health challenges.
He underwent a lumbar microdiscectomy, a back procedure, in June and missed the entire preseason.
Now in his third NBA season, Topić has missed 155 regular-season games. A torn ACL sidelined him for the entire 2024-25 season, and a testicular cancer diagnosis kept him out for most of 2025-26. He appeared in 10 regular-season games last season.
Through those setbacks, Jokic has offered his Serbian national team teammate something beyond basketball advice.
His company.
“He's a young guy, talented guy who is going and fighting through a lot,” Jokic said.
“I think he has the talent and still probably needs help in some way, just because he's going through a lot. Maybe it's company, maybe it's a friendship, maybe it's dinner, maybe it's whatever. But I think he's gonna be good.”
Jokic acknowledged how isolating those experiences can feel, even with support nearby.
“I think when something like that happens, you're alone,” Jokic said. “He knows what he's going through. I think mentally going alone with that, those situations can make you just tougher and kind of make you better.”
Jordan Davis covers high school sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Jordan? He can be reached at [email protected] or on X/Twitter at @thejordancdavis. Sign up for The Varsity Club newsletter to access more high school coverage. Support Jordan’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Why Nikola Jokic’s OKC visit meant more than a Thunder-Nuggets game