James Harden says he is ‘for sure’ the best player in the world

James Harden may or may not be the best basketball player in the word. He’s certainly not lacking in self-belief either way.

Harden told Sam Gregory of TIME, when asked, that he definitely considers himself the best player on the planet right now.

“For sure. I feel like I’m solid in everything: IQ, studying the game, I can score the basketball, make my teammates better,” Harden said. “There are not a lot of guys that have all those characteristics in one. They might be way more athletic, can shoot the ball way better. But everything solid in one human body?

“You can ask all those top guys who the best player is, of course they are going to say themselves. Because as a basketball player you’re confident in your craft. It’s not taking shots at anybody. It’s a confidence.”

This isn’t a new belief. Harden has been saying this since November, and probably thought it even before then. As he points out, it’s not meant to be arrogance. The elite athletes have that all-conquering self-belief. He’s averaging 29.2 points, 11.3 assists, and 8.3 rebounds per game. He can certainly stake a claim.

H/T CBS Sports