Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens seems flattered when it's suggested to him that free agents might consider Boston as a destination because of his presence, but he firmly believes that the 17 championship banners that hang above the TD Garden floor are the team's biggest attraction.

During an interview with Boston sports radio station WEEI on Monday, Stevens said he'll be part of Boston's recruitment of top free agents this summer, but suggested that the sales pitch is more likely to focus on how those players could help restore Boston to championship contender and be part of the Celtics' tradition.

"I’ll play an active role. I’ll do anything I can as far as meeting with guys, calling guys, whatever I can after the July 1 time frame when we’re given the go-ahead to meet with those guys," Stevens told the "Dale and Holley" program. "The best selling point, I would say that I’m probably not near that. I think that the tradition, the history, the city, the way that the city embrace[s] the Celtics, the way that our players feel about being Celtics, the amount of pride they’ve taken in that and, this group in particular, how thankful they’ve been to get a chance to play in front of these fans and in this place where, again, those banners hang above you. To me, that’s the top of the list."

Stevens noted how the history and tradition of the Celtics were a big part of what drew him to the team in 2013.

"I’m a basketball guy. I love the game and I love the history and the tradition of the game," said Stevens. "And maybe that just means even more to me, but I think it means a lot to a lot of people. Certainly, there are other factors involved when, ultimately, free agents have to choose a place to play. But, for me, those were a lot of the things that flattered me about being asked to be the coach here."

That notion calls to mind some of the quotes from Kevin Durant when Oklahoma City visited Boston in March. Durant, who will headline July's free-agent marketplace, noted "You can feel the tradition walking in [TD Garden]. ... The tradition of being a Boston Celtics is second to none."

Stevens noted how, with the salary cap set to spike, plenty of teams will have the ability to spend on free agents this summer. He's hopeful that Boston's tradition -- and the progress the team has shown in trying to climb back towards contender status over the past 18 months -- will encourage top talent to consider Boston over other possible destinations.

Stevens will draw on his old recruiting game plan from when he was at Butler.

"I think the biggest thing is that it’s each individual person. So, for me, in recruiting it was find out what makes each individual tick and what makes each individual -- what separates your situation for that individual and go from there," he said. "I do think -- and I found this when I was at Butler especially -- at Butler it was a little bit different then, obviously, we didn’t have the history and tradition relative to level that the Celtics have. But I always felt like, if somebody chose us, they were choosing us for all the right reasons. And, ultimately, if they liked where we played, which is a gym built in 1928, which is Hinkle Fieldhouse, I felt like they had an appreciation for tradition and history of the game. And if you have that, then team is important. And then collective achievement is important. If you have that, then you obviously have a guy you want in your locker room."