Jaylen Brown said he would play in Boston for the next 10 years if it were up to him, pushing back Wednesday on a report that had suggested he was frustrated with the organization. Brad Stevens addressed the matter at an exit interview in Brighton on Wednesday after Brown had already called the Celtics' season-ending loss to the 76ers on Saturday his favorite year.

Brown, who is an NBA Finals Most Valuable Player two years ago and will be 30 in the coming season, said on Twitch, “Me and Brad have a great relationship.” He added, “I hate that Brad even had to respond to this,” and said plainly, “I love Boston.”

The comments came after a season Brown described as one that began with low expectations and ended with a championship banner. The Celtics won 56 games and collected the 18th championship banner in franchise history, and Brown said that before the season the team was expected to be “nothing” and “just to give in to and to quit.” Instead, he said, “We fought every single day. We fought for everything.”

Brown also pointed to the return of Jayson Tatum from injury as part of why the year meant so much to him. “I got to see Jayson Tatum come back from an injury, mentally overcome what [it] takes … this is a part of the reason why this was my favorite year,” Brown said. The season also followed last year’s second-round loss to the Knicks, when Brown had an ailing knee, a reminder of how quickly the Celtics had moved from disappointment to a title run.

The Tracy Mcgrady report centered on the idea that Brown had frustrations with the organization, and it raised the possibility of his being traded this offseason. Brown’s response was the opposite of a warning shot. He said he wanted to stay, said he loved the city, and said the relationship with Stevens was strong. For a player who has sometimes been cryptic in public comments, the clearest message was the simplest one: Boston is where he wants to be.