Chicago Bulls: Is Derrick Rose the Best Player in the NBA?

Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose recently made headlines when he declared himself the best player in the NBA during a short interview with CNN.

While Bulls fans will admire his confidence for making such a bold statement despite sitting out the entire 2012-13 campaign, are his comments accurate?

In an attempt to answer that question, let's take a brief look at how Rose's stats from his MVP season stack up against those of a few of the top players from last year.

Derrick Rose (81 games)

25.0 points

 7.7 assists

 4.1 rebounds

45.0 percent shooting

33.0 percent from distance

Kevin Durant (81 games)

28.1 points

 4.6 assists

 7.9 rebounds

51.0 percent shooting

42.0 percent from distance

Kobe Bryant (78 games)

27.3 points

 6.0 assists

 5.6 rebounds

46.0 percent shooting

32.0 percent from distance

Russell Westbrook (82 games)

23.2 points

 7.4 assists

 5.2 rebounds

44.0 percent shooting

32.0 percent from distance

Carmelo Anthony (67 games)

28.7 points

 2.6 assists

 6.9 rebounds

45.0 percent shooting

38.0 percent from distance

LeBron James (76 games)

26.8 points per game

 7.3 assists per game

 8.0 rebounds per game

57.0 percent from the field

40.0 percent from distance

Conclusion

Based on the stats above, Rose's averages do compare favorably to the other players included on the list—which makes him "one" of the best players in the game today.

However, the label of the game's best player has to go to the individual who has led his team to the last two titles while capturing two MVP trophies along the way—LeBron James.

While Rose's confidence is admirable and somewhat expected, it will take an extraordinary season from the young Bulls star in order to knock James off the mountaintop.

Note: All player stats were provided by ESPN