Derrick Rose claims he's better than LeBron James

Derrick Rose says he's better than current MVP LeBron James

Chicago Bulls superstar Derrick Rose believes he's still the best player in the NBA - better even than four-time MVP LeBron James.

Rose won the MVP award in 2011 - he became the youngest ever recipient at the age of 22 - but he's been plagued by injury since. He spent the whole of last season on the sidelines after tearing an ACL in his knee during the 2012 playoffs. But speaking to CNN, the Bulls guard believes he's still the top player in the NBA. When asked who's the best player in the league right now, the 24-year-old said: "Derrick Rose." Rose is expected to be fully fit for the start of the new season in October, and recently declared himself happy with how his pre-season preparations are going. Athletes - especially those at the top - are renowned for unshakeable self belief so perhaps it's not that much of a surprise to hear Rose claim he's better than James. But the Miami Heat superstar won his second NBA championship in June, along with another Finals MVP. He's widely regarded to be the best player in the world, and Rose did concede that the Heat star is the hardest player in the league to guard. "I would have to say LeBron," said Rose. "A 6-foot-8 guy that's 250 [pounds]. What do you think?"