Before officially suiting up with the OKC Thunder for meaningful, regular season action this coming October, Nikola Topic will be representing his home country of Serbia during this summer’s FIBA EuroBasket 2025.<\/p>\n
Considering the amount of NBA talent stockpiled on the nation’s roster, it was already assumed that the 20-year-old would wind up soaking up a ton of valuable wisdom and knowledge<\/a> about what it takes to succeed in the association before even logging his first minutes.<\/p>\n However, the person, in particular, who seems to be leading the charge in mentoring the likes of Topic is actually one of the Thunder’s most daunting rivals in Nikola Jokic.<\/p>\n Nikola Topic receiving mentorship from one of biggest Thunder rivals<\/p>\n Recently, Jokic’s leading adviser role for the youngster became visibly obvious during an exhibition against Germany, where, after seeing Topic sit down on the bench without acknowledging his teammates, the big man requested he get back up<\/a> and give everyone high fives before returning to his seat.<\/p>\n To Topic’s credit, he was quick to oblige.<\/p>\n While Jokic may be the driving force for arguably the biggest threat<\/a> to the Thunder repeating as NBA Champions in the Nuggets, having him in the ear of the first-year pro could prove to be truly invaluable.<\/p>\n Though the pair may not play the same position, with the Denver star being a center and the Oklahoma City rookie being a point guard, both surprisingly possess a similar game when it comes to their eagerness to attack the lane and naturally elite distribution skills.<\/p>\n On top of all else, however, having the three-time NBA MVP and all-time great provide guidance to the former lottery-selected talent can only be viewed as a positive.<\/p>\n Topic is already coming into the 2025-26 season with a ton of buzz surrounding him after being argued as one of the biggest steals<\/a> from his respective draft class and absolutely crushing it in his first Summer League this past July.<\/p>\n With the build of a natural, modern-era wing (6-foot-6, 201 pounds) and the style of play of a pure floor general, fans are excited to see what the point guard can bring to the rotation for the defending champs in year one.<\/p>\n