Celtics' Jaylen Brown refutes rumored rift with team: 'I love Boston'

Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown and president of basketball operations Brad Stevens are both denying any rift between the two.

In fact, Brown says that if it were up to him, he'd be happy playing in Boston "for the next 10 years."

The status of the team's relationship with its leading scorer this season was called into question after Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady recently said on his podcast that Brown has a frustration that "lies deeply within the organization."

Brown hasn't been shy about expressing his frustrations publicly. He was fined $50,000 by the NBA earlier this week for comments he made about the officiating after the Celtics' season ended with a Game 7 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Stevens on Wednesday, May 6, refuted McGrady's allegations, saying the last conversation he had with Brown two days earlier was "nothing but positive."

Later that day, Brown echoed Stevens' remarks on his Twitch stream.

"I hate that our president of basketball operations even had to respond to this," he said. "Me and Brad have a great relationship. I love Boston. And if it was up to me I could play in Boston for the next 10 years."

The Celtics posted the second-best record in the East during the regular season, despite playing for an extended period without star guard Jayson Tatum, who was recovering from a torn Achilles tendon. Brown led the team in scoring with a career-high 28.7 points per game.

"Obviously, we're not satisfied with the result," the five-time All-Star said. "If it sounds like an excuse, it's not. But to fight and maneuver through adversity and grow, and galvanize with a bunch of guys and to have that mindset and approach, this was my favorite year."