Last season was more complicated than predicted for the Nets. With Kyrie Irving out for months, the team struggled to get results. But even when he got back, Brooklyn had to go through the Play-In Tournament.

Though they managed to secure the seventh seed, it didn’t take long for the Nets’ aspirations to be over. Steve Nash‘s team was swept by the Celtics in the first round, a defeat that continues to make noise in Brooklyn.

Since then, the team went through a lot of trouble – with Kevin Durant almost leaving the organization this offseason. However, Irving recently revealed that they could actually learn a lot from that elimination.

Kyrie Irving calls brutal loss to Celtics a ‘humbling experience’

(Via Fadeaway World)

“Since we got 4-0’d, my G, we got 4-0’d… It was meant to happen like that. Motivation, bro. We needed that humbling experience, especially going against the Celtics. You know, it was already built in to be that matchup,” Irving said.

We gonna see them again. We gonna have to. They gonna be where they gonna be but those youngins over there in Boston bro, I got to see them grow up. So to see them doing what they did last year, on the Finals stage, making it that far, I’m glad they had to go through us.”