The Best Recent Bold Statements of Self-Confidence from Athletes

Joel Embiid is "The Process."

The Philadelphia 76ers center is also apparently quite confident. And you know what? That's not a bad thing.

It's hard to imagine a professional athlete making it all the way to the upper echelons of his or her sport without a high level of self-confidence.

The following 10 athletes (current or recently retired) have certainly displayed that confidence lately. They have made bold statements about their own abilities that could be read as arrogant but could often also be read as true.

Well, unless they're Jose Bautista. In his case, the best part about his bold statement was the Twitter reaction from his rivals.

Patrice Evra

Juventus defender Patrice Evra has apparently adopted the sentiment behind Kobe Bryant's "Vino" nickname.

The 35-year-old Frenchman said, "I feel very good too. I'm starting to see myself like a bottle of wine, you know? The older I get, the better the taste," per UEFA.com. 

That might sound a bit cocky, but he also added, "I am a competitor and I want to play until my legs can't do it anymore. When I see that my level is dropping, I will just retire. I am honest with myself, but at the moment I am having fun. I love to run. I'm playing every game like it's my last."

That just sounds awesome.

Evra and Juventus are making their way through the Champions League group stage and are atop Group H through the end of October.

Damian Lillard

Damian Lillard has got to be one of the more underrated players in the NBA, right? He was one of the 2015-16 All-Star team's biggest snubs and went on to average 25.1 points and 6.8 assists per game on the season.

And yet, basketball is not Lillard's only talent; he is also a musician. Unlike many who came before him, Lillard is one NBA star who, in terms of rapping, is actually good.

He dropped his first full album, The Letter O, in October, and fellow NBA star Kevin Durant told Bill Simmons on Any Given Wednesday (via Complex) Lillard (aka Dame D.O.L.L.A.) is the best NBA rapper ever.  

So when Lillard told B/R Mag's Bonsu Thompson, "As far as ability, I know I'm the best hooper to ever rap," it's quite possible he was right. 

Lee Sang-Hyeok

Lee Sang-hyeok, aka "Faker," is a South Korean League of Legends player. He has won three League of Legends World Championships (2013, 2015 and 2016) with his team, SK Telecom T1.

In early-October, Tyler Erzberger of ESPN.com described him as "the greatest player in League of Legends history."

So, while the opening lines of Lee's Players' Tribune piece, "Unkillable," are bold and oozing with self-confidence, they're not untrue.

Lee wrote, "My name is Lee Sang-hyeok. My American fans call me 'God.' My Korean fans know me as 'the Unkillable Demon King.' I actually prefer God, because it feels just a little bit higher. In game, I'm simply Faker. I'm 20 years old, and I'm the best League of Legends player in the world."

Hey, just calling it like it is.

Randy Moss

Randy Moss hasn't played an NFL down since 2012, but the wide receiver-turned ESPN analyst definitely stays in shape. He posted a few morning workout videos in January that made him look anything but washed up.  

In 2015, there were even rumors of a possible comeback, per Chris Chase of For the Win.

Fast forward to October. The 39-year-old told Jonathan Jones of SI.com he could still be productive in the NFL. He said, "I think being able to use me inside the 40-yard line for my height, still my skill set, still have quickness, I think my speed has left a little bit. But my skill set, 16 games, I'd say anywhere between nine to 12 or 13 touchdowns. Somewhere in there."

(For reference, in 2015, wide receivers Brandon Marshall, Doug Baldwin and Allen Robinson jointly led the NFL in touchdown catches with 14 each.)

Before anyone gets too excited, however, Moss also told Jones he has no plans to come back and said, "…now is a time for me to give back and teach the game."

Jose Bautista

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They say hindsight is 20/20. In that vein, one has to wonder what Toronto Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista thinks about a few of his American League Championship Series comments after the fact.

Ahead of the Game 5 matchup against the Cleveland Indians, Bautista said of Indians rookie pitcher Ryan Merritt, "Not having seen him is something that could go either way. But with our experience in our lineup I'm pretty sure he's going to be shaking in his boots more than we are. I like where we're at," per Jonah Keri of CBS Sports.

Merritt came out and retired the first 10 batters he faced. He gave the Tribe 4.1 solid innings before handing it off to the bullpen in a 3-0 win that decided the series.

Self-confidence is necessary for success in the bigs, but bold statements don't always pan out.

The best part about Bautista's comment was the viciously hilarious social media response on the part of the Indians. The official team Twitter posted a photo of Merritt wearing photoshopped cowboy boots and tweeted, "Rogers Centre was shaking there, but Merritt induces a double play."

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has only been with Manchester United for a few months, but already he claims to have the power to sway rival fans in his direction.

Ahead of Manchester United's EFL 1-0 victory over Manchester City in October, the Swedish striker said, per Kris Voakes of Goal.com, "I've met a lot [of City fans] but they become United supporters when they meet me!"

Ibrahimovic made the comment with a laugh, per Voakes, which really makes it more endearing than cocky. He also added, "I want the people to come to the stadium, enjoy the game and at the same time shout for your team. And we want to give back to them, especially when there are kids there."

In reality, Ibrahimovic has been in the midst of an offensive slump in which he has netted just one goal in 10 matches.  

Rip Hamilton

The contemporary Golden State Warriors have been subjects of much historical comparison amid their recent success—much of it to the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls.

But who would win a seven-game series between the dominant Detroit Pistons of the mid-2000s and the 2016-17 Warriors?

Former Piston Rip Hamilton—who won a title with the team in 2004—said on CBS Sports' NBA Crossover (via Ananth Pandian of CBS Sports), "It would be no comparison. We can guard every position. Every guy from our point guard to our five, can guard any position. We were big. We were long."

No comparison? That's bold.

Hamilton's former Detroit teammate, Tayshaun Prince, went with, "It depends on what the rules are," via Pandian, and suggested the Pistons would prevail in a more physical series.

Conor McGregor

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Raise your hand if you're surprised to see Conor McGregor crack this list. The Irish UFC fighter makes bold statements of self-confidence with impressive regularity.

McGregor is slated to fight Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 in November. In anticipation of that fight, McGregor spoke about proving one's worth in the Octagon.

He said, per Damon Martin of Fox Sports, "Everyone's talking. Everyone's thinking 'just cause Conor has it, I should have it'.  No, no—I didn't always have it, there's a reason why I have it. I had to work my (expletive) bullocks off to get it. Here I am, still working, while they're talking."

This is the type of self-confident talk that has been earned. McGregor has a 20-3 record and has held titles in the lightweight and featherweight classes over the course of his MMA career.

Cristiano Ronaldo

If asked to quickly name the humblest athlete they could think of, few sports fans would be likely to name Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo. The three-time Ballon d'Or winner is mega-talented, but he's not exactly known for modesty.

For example, the Real Madrid striker told Diego Jokas of Coach magazine in October, "My biggest inspiration has always been myself; nobody puts bigger demands on me than me. I said I admired Figo and Rui Costa, but I never wanted to emulate anybody—I have just always focused on being the best me I can."

(That actually sounds pretty reasonable.)

Asked by Jokas who was the "biggest influence" on his career, Ronaldo predictably said, "I was."

Interestingly enough, Ronaldo also pointed out the motivating effect his detractors can have. He told Jokas, "I actually need my haters—they have helped me achieve all I have achieved."

Joel Embiid

The tactics of former Philadelphia 76ers general manger Sam Hinkie—specifically, "tank for high draft picks, acquire assets, and hope to build a young, talented core for years to come," per Scott Davis of Business Insider—might finally be starting to pay off.

For instance, center Joel Embiid was drafted in 2014 but kept from game action by injuries. With the 2016-17 season underway, Embiid is finally an active NBA rookie. In his first professional game, Embiid recorded 20 points, seven rebounds and two blocks in a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. There is even a little (yet very early) Rookie of the Year talk.

For his part, Embiid has often lauded Hinkie and in September tweeted, "Trust The Process."

In October, Embiid told Lee Jenkins of SI.com, "I think a lot about what I went through and how it prepared me to be a better man,"  "I really feel like I'm The Process, like The Process is about me."