When the Oklahoma City Thunder won the first championship in franchise history on Sunday night, rookie guard Nikola Topic made a piece of history of his own. One that will be very difficult to ever repeat.
Topic did not play in any of the Thunder’s NBA Finals series against the Indiana Pacers. Nor did he play in any of the previous playoff series. Indeed, nor did he play at all, as Topic in fact missed his entire rookie season due to injury.
Precisely because of that, Topic just became the first player in history to win an NBA championship – without having actually played in the NBA.
Badly-Timed Injury Proved Fortuitous
Topic was selected by the Thunder in the 2025 NBA Draft, one in which they were picking in the lottery despite a 57-win season. Using the twelfth overall pick – a slot that has been extremely potent in recent seasons – the Thunder chose the 6’5 Serbian guard. even knowing he had suffered a partially torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee just a month before he was drafted, which contributed to why a player once thought to be a top-10 pick was able to fall to the Thunder.
The Thunder picked Topic despite the injury in the full expectation that he would not be able to play at all this season, an expectation which became a reality. As a result, despite having played the same number of minutes in the NBA as your dad, Topic now has one more ring than him.
For this situation to have arisen required a very specific set of circumstances, one that only the Thunder could bring about.
A Success Of The Thunder’s Asset Accumulation Strategy
As is well known, through years of astute trading, the Thunder have an exorbitant cache of draft picks in their cupboard. About two dozen, all told. And there are myriad benefits of having all these weapons.
Firstly, it allows the team to operate on multiple timelines. Because they have so much in the chamber with which to retool and go again, the Thunder can be both great now and great later, able to go in any direction they choose at any given moment while navigating the constant fluctuations in the player market. If someone they desire becomes available, be it now or in two years time, they can be a part of the bidding war, no matter who it is.
Secondly, it allows multiple bits at the cherry. Not every draft pick hits the jackpot, and they never will; even the Thunder, who get most right, have to accept that Ousmane Dieng’s career has not gone according to plan. Yet precisely because they have so many options, they can survive the misses.
And thirdly, it allows for great patience. The Thunder can incubate those they feel is worth it because their top-end quality and depth of the rotation means they will not suffer in the interim. The only obstacle is one of roster spots.
Topic stands at the apex of these three strands. The Thunder can wait for him to get better, and take a risk on his injury, knowing they can survive the waiting period. They think highly of Topic’s talent and potential, especially given that he is now an NBA champion. As “nothing” seasons go, Topic’s could not have been better,
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