One of Nick’s earliest memories is of going to the rec center every Saturday and Sunday morning at 6 a.m. and watching his dad play basketball, while he stood by and took it all in. In the evenings, during the NBA playoffs, he would watch as his father sank to his knees in front of the TV, living and dying with each play in the classic Bulls/Pistons rivalry of the late 1980s and early 1990s. “I can always vividly remember that,” recalls Nick, growing quieter. “Seeing my dad like that, and from the very beginning it was like that, my life revolved around basketball. It was my first love.”

Nick carried this love with him throughout his adolescent years and into manhood. As he grew older, his style of play in the game reflected more and more who he was or rather, who he was becoming was a reflection of his game. “You could say that how I approached life determined how I play the game,” Nick replies, in response to questions on the matter. “But my love for the game came so early. It has to be that way. I know that how I play the game, that’s how I live my life.” Regardless of which came first, Nick’s game and personality evolved into something that is seldom seen in our present day. His first priority was his teammates, getting them the ball, making them better, getting the win regardless of individual statistics.

It was by coming to UC Davis that Nick took the first big step to achieving his childhood dream: playing college basketball.