Nikola Topic reflected on the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 2025–26 playoff campaign after the team’s Western Conference Finals exit in a seven-game series against the San Antonio Spurs, describing both the progress made and the disappointment of falling short of the NBA Finals. The 20-year-old guard finished the postseason with limited rotation minutes across 15 games as Oklahoma City reached the league’s final four.
“It was really fun honestly. I’m really grateful that I got to experience this and that I’m a part of this team and this organization.” Topic said while reflecting on the playoff run. He added, “Obviously I’m very sad and very disappointed of how we ended our season, but I’m still really proud of this team and everybody here and everybody who works here.”
Topic emphasized the culture inside the locker room and the emotional balance of the postseason experience. “I know that they work really hard for this and it just didn’t go our way. So I’m really proud of everybody and obviously we are sad and disappointed, but we should hold our heads high.”
Looking ahead to the offseason, Topic pointed to development priorities and physical preparation as key areas of focus. “I mean a lot. I just want to have a good summer, good offseason. Summer league is coming up and it’s going to be big for me.”
He also detailed his mindset after dealing with adversity across his early NBA seasons, including injury setbacks and health issues. “Well, I learned a lot about myself. I didn’t know how tough I was, honestly. It wasn’t the best. But I’m grateful that I’ve gone through those experiences. I grew from those experiences as well.”
Topic added that his physical status is still a work in progress. “I don’t know how close I am. I feel okay. My conditioning hasn’t been the greatest, but we’ve been working on it. It should be coming back in the next few weeks, months. That’s all I know.”
The guard also described the Thunder’s internal chemistry as a defining factor throughout the season. “We’re not teammates. We’re brothers and we are a family and that really helps with everything.”
He outlined his potential role moving forward as Oklahoma City continues to build around its core. “I see myself as another ball handler. I think that’s what we need in some situations. Kind of take some weight off Shai’s back and everybody else’s and make our team offensively easier and harder for the opposition.”
Oklahoma City finished the regular season 64–18 before advancing through multiple playoff rounds, including a Western Conference Semifinals sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers, before ultimately falling to San Antonio in a seven-game conference finals series.
