Opinion: It's OK if Derrick Rose Says He's the Best

D. Rose takes criticism for proclaiming himself the best player in the NBA

The amount of backlash Derrick Rose received for saying he was the best player in the NBA when asked in a recent CNN interview reached absurd levels on Thursday. From anonymous Internet chatter to television talking heads, everyone lined up and took their turn calling D. Rose "crazy" and "delusional."

It makes you wonder if people understand the concept and spirit of competition within the realm of sports anymore.

Is Derrick Rose, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, the 2008-09 Rookie of the Year, a three-time NBA All-Star who led the Chicago Bulls to the best record in the league two years in a row, while becoming the youngest MVP in league history one of those years, not supposed to feel like he's the best with a résumé like that? And if you're one of those people who did have a problem with his assertion, do you really think a player of his caliber would ever say that someone is better than he is?

If you do, then maybe it's you who is delusional and crazy, not D. Rose.

More than talent, basketball is a game of confidence. And that confidence is what separates great players from the really good ones. Ask any superstar in any sport who the best player in their sport is and they will no doubt say themselves first. Whether or not they actually are the best player in their sport doesn't matter, it's that kind of confidence that gives them superstar status.

So why is Derrick Rose wrong for stating the belief that helped him reach his current status, not only in basketball, but in life?

He's not. 

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