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Nick Boyd repeats the same five words at every stop in his career. He told them to St. Mary High School basketball coach Brian Gaccione before his gap year in Indiana.
He repeated the phrase at Florida Atlantic after he committed to the Owls out of high school, then at San Diego State and Wisconsin as he rounded out his time in college. Now, the NBA.
Those words?
“The work is just starting.”
The work truly is starting again for Boyd. He with the Golden State Warriors after going undrafted in the 2026 NBA Draft. Boyd, who played at St. Mary in Rutherford from 2017-19, excelled at Wisconsin this past season in his final year of college eligibility. The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 20.7 points, 4.3 assists and 3.8 rebounds, earning All-Big Ten second team honors.
But NBA teams didn’t see enough in Boyd to scoop him up in the draft, further fueling an underdog story that has been adding chapters since he started high school.
“He's proved people wrong at every level, and this is his last stop to prove people wrong,” Gaccione told NorthJersey.com. “It's his dream to play in the NBA, and when you see a kid this close, you're rooting for him. The whole St. Mary community is rooting for him.”
That underdog tale began when Boyd started high school at Don Bosco. He barely played before jumping to St. Mary for his junior year. He missed the majority of that season with a knee injury, missing out during a crucial recruiting period.
Because of the untimely injury, Boyd didn’t receive Division I offers out of high school, instead garnering some interest from D-II schools.
But Boyd never wanted to “settle” there, Gaccione said. He wasn’t content with playing in D-II, and he believed he was better than how people viewed him. Boyd took a gap year at Bosco Institute in Indiana, where scouts finally realized his potential.
After committing to FAU and playing three years with the Owls, that mindset led him to San Diego State in 2024, then his first power conference opportunity at Wisconsin this past season.
Boyd had by far his best year with the Badgers. Gaccione said Wisconsin ran an open ball screen offense, which complements Boyd’s ability to play in space. Boyd is best with the ball in his hand − something that’s rung true since high school, he added.
At St. Mary, “everyone in the gym knew he was going left.” Boyd would still go left, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop him. He led New Jersey in scoring his senior year with 747 points.
Gaccione saw the same ability at Wisconsin. He said Boyd has never shied away from big stages in his career, illustrated by his game-winning layup in FAU’s opening March Madness win in 2023, which catalyzed a miracle Final Four run.
Now, he’s taking that confidence to the NBA.
“I felt like Nick was never afraid of the moment, and I don't think [in] the NBA, he's gonna have any fear factor either,” Gaccione said.
Boyd’s draft stock skyrocketed after his year in Madison. Gaccione said he was on every team’s draft board as an option late in the second round. Many of those squads called Gaccione before draft night; they wanted to know about Boyd’s work ethic and character, qualities Gaccione believes he undoubtedly possesses.
“When you excel at that level in the Big Ten, how could you not take notice? That's why he was on everybody's draft board,” Gaccione said.
Still, Boyd wasn’t selected. Gaccione thinks that mostly boiled down to age − Boyd spent six years in college and is 25 years old.
If you’ve been paying attention, Boyd’s mindset was obvious. He went right back to work.
So far, Boyd has stood out in three games at the California Classic, part of the NBA Summer League. He’s had “two good games” and one “not so good” game, per Gaccione, but averaged 11.7 points and six assists in those contests. He’s now continuing his Summer League stint in Las Vegas, where he’ll look to earn a two-way contract, which allows players to split time in the NBA and developmental G League.
As Boyd navigates the NBA waters, his five-word motto will remain seared into his mind. He’s been underestimated his whole life, and he’s not about to forget that now.
It’s time to prove himself again.
“At this next level, the work is just starting again, and for Nick, he's always taken the most out of his opportunities,” Gaccione said.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Former Bergen County basketball star starts NBA journey with Warriors
Continue reading...
He repeated the phrase at Florida Atlantic after he committed to the Owls out of high school, then at San Diego State and Wisconsin as he rounded out his time in college. Now, the NBA.
Those words?
“The work is just starting.”
The work truly is starting again for Boyd. He with the Golden State Warriors after going undrafted in the 2026 NBA Draft. Boyd, who played at St. Mary in Rutherford from 2017-19, excelled at Wisconsin this past season in his final year of college eligibility. The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 20.7 points, 4.3 assists and 3.8 rebounds, earning All-Big Ten second team honors.
But NBA teams didn’t see enough in Boyd to scoop him up in the draft, further fueling an underdog story that has been adding chapters since he started high school.
“He's proved people wrong at every level, and this is his last stop to prove people wrong,” Gaccione told NorthJersey.com. “It's his dream to play in the NBA, and when you see a kid this close, you're rooting for him. The whole St. Mary community is rooting for him.”
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That underdog tale began when Boyd started high school at Don Bosco. He barely played before jumping to St. Mary for his junior year. He missed the majority of that season with a knee injury, missing out during a crucial recruiting period.
Because of the untimely injury, Boyd didn’t receive Division I offers out of high school, instead garnering some interest from D-II schools.
But Boyd never wanted to “settle” there, Gaccione said. He wasn’t content with playing in D-II, and he believed he was better than how people viewed him. Boyd took a gap year at Bosco Institute in Indiana, where scouts finally realized his potential.
After committing to FAU and playing three years with the Owls, that mindset led him to San Diego State in 2024, then his first power conference opportunity at Wisconsin this past season.
Boyd had by far his best year with the Badgers. Gaccione said Wisconsin ran an open ball screen offense, which complements Boyd’s ability to play in space. Boyd is best with the ball in his hand − something that’s rung true since high school, he added.
At St. Mary, “everyone in the gym knew he was going left.” Boyd would still go left, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop him. He led New Jersey in scoring his senior year with 747 points.
You must be registered for see images attach
Gaccione saw the same ability at Wisconsin. He said Boyd has never shied away from big stages in his career, illustrated by his game-winning layup in FAU’s opening March Madness win in 2023, which catalyzed a miracle Final Four run.
Now, he’s taking that confidence to the NBA.
“I felt like Nick was never afraid of the moment, and I don't think [in] the NBA, he's gonna have any fear factor either,” Gaccione said.
Boyd’s draft stock skyrocketed after his year in Madison. Gaccione said he was on every team’s draft board as an option late in the second round. Many of those squads called Gaccione before draft night; they wanted to know about Boyd’s work ethic and character, qualities Gaccione believes he undoubtedly possesses.
“When you excel at that level in the Big Ten, how could you not take notice? That's why he was on everybody's draft board,” Gaccione said.
You must be registered for see images attach
Still, Boyd wasn’t selected. Gaccione thinks that mostly boiled down to age − Boyd spent six years in college and is 25 years old.
If you’ve been paying attention, Boyd’s mindset was obvious. He went right back to work.
So far, Boyd has stood out in three games at the California Classic, part of the NBA Summer League. He’s had “two good games” and one “not so good” game, per Gaccione, but averaged 11.7 points and six assists in those contests. He’s now continuing his Summer League stint in Las Vegas, where he’ll look to earn a two-way contract, which allows players to split time in the NBA and developmental G League.
As Boyd navigates the NBA waters, his five-word motto will remain seared into his mind. He’s been underestimated his whole life, and he’s not about to forget that now.
It’s time to prove himself again.
“At this next level, the work is just starting again, and for Nick, he's always taken the most out of his opportunities,” Gaccione said.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Former Bergen County basketball star starts NBA journey with Warriors
Continue reading...
