I and one of my friends play a game 'X' and we play equally well. Whenever we have a team (pair) event, both of us pair up. However, in presence of others, he often says that I am in 'his' team. In fact, he once remarked while playing with another team that he chose me in his team because I played very well.
How can I make my friend understand that such comments make me uncomfortable?
I feel I shouldn't talk to him about this directly as I don't want to escalate (he is very nice to talk with in general and it isn't a major issue). It's just that I don't want to listen silently and let others take my silence for granted. The next time it happens, I want to prepare myself for a tactful response in order to make him realize that such comments are unwelcome.