“We battled” (Brooklyn Nets saying)
“We battled” is a saying of the New Jersey Nets (later the Brooklyn Nets)., meaning a valiant effort—but a loss. Nets fans have often used it satirically.
Avery Johnson was coach of the New Jersey Nets in 2011, and Deron Williams was a star player the team had just traded for, playing in his first home game on February 28, 2011. The Nets were in overtime against the Phoenix Suns, losing 104-103, when Deron Williams missed a five-foot shot. Nets forward Kris Humphries rebounded the shot and put it back in, but it was after the final buzzer.
“We battled,” Deron Williams was quoted in The Record (Hackensack, NJ) on March 1, 2011. “We really battled,” Nets coach Avery Johnson was quoted in Newsday (New York, NY). The saying would be associated with Johnson. “Team slogan: ‘We Battled.’ I think that tells you who the coach would be” was printed in NetsDaily on August 13, 2015. ““We battled and scratched and clawed, but they just stayed with their game until they overwhelmed us later on,” said by Brooklyn Nets coach Lionel Hollins, was posted on the newsgroup alt.sports.basketball.nba.gs-warriors on December 7, 2015. “We battled would also be associated with Jacque Vaughn, the Brooklyn Nets head coach 2022-2024.
Newspapers.com
1 March 2011, The Record (Hackensack, NJ), “Tipping point” by Al Iannazzone, pg. S-4, col. 4:
“We battled,” (Deron—ed.) Williams said. “We didn’t give up. We just made a couple of mistakes defensively. We were right there. We had chances to win the ballgame. We just couldn’t close it out.”
(A New Jersey Nets one point overtime home loss to the Phoenix Suns, 104-103, bringing the Nets’ record to 17-43.—ed.)
Newspapers.com
1 March 2011, Newsday (New York, NY), “Heartbreak in OT” by Barbara Barker, pg. A47, col. 2:
“We really battled,” Nets coach Avery Johnson said. “What a game tonight. They’re disappointed we came up on the losing end. It would have been a great story for Deron’s shot to go down for us at the end of the game.”
NetsDaily
Yahoo: Brooklyn Nets All-Time Starting Five
by Anthony Puccio
Aug 13, 2015, 7:19 PM EDT
(...)
Oh and for what it’s worth, we put together the NetsDaily’s All-Time starting five:
C. Johan Petro
F. Jerome Moiso
F. Reggie Evans
G. Travis Outlaw
G. Deron Williams
Team slogan: “We Battled.” I think that tells you who the coach would be.
Google Groups: alt.sports.basketball.nba.gs-warriors
Leung: Warriors beat Nets for 22nd win
Allen
Dec 7, 2015, 1:41:17 PM
Warriors beat Nets for 22nd win
By Diamond .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
POSTED: 12/06/2015 05:30:22 PM PST1 UPDATED: ABOUT 13 HOURS AGO
http://www.mercurynews.com/warriors/ci_29210468/warriors-beat-nets-22nd-win#insidebayarea
(...)
“I think they are a great team that plays to their level,” Hollins said.
“That’s what they came out and did in the first quarter. They didn’t
worry about us. They played their game.
“We battled and scratched and clawed, but they just stayed with their
game until they overwhelmed us later on. When you are good, you are not
worried about who you are playing.”
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Lindor
@BKNETS417
Aka we battled shoutout Avery Johnson.
6:58 PM · Oct 21, 2024
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Big Hoz
@hozboy
We battled, Avery Johnson voice!!
10:12 PM · Oct 24, 2025
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Joey Bk
@Nettorious
The Nets have another fake comeback moral victory. In the words of Jacque Vaughn “ We Battled “ lol. They will not start to win games until they start taking care of the ball and start protecting the paint.
10:02 PM · Oct 29, 2025