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Here is a look at my top 5 most confident athletes.
5. Derrick Rose, the Bulls starting point guard and pride of Chicago, appears to be the clear favorite to become the youngest ever recipient of the MVP at 22 years old. In large part due to Rose the Bulls have been able to overcome significant injuries that held stars Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer out of the lineup for 48 games combined. They currently lead the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics in pursuit of the coveted number one seed. Rose has done the heavy lifting all season posting averages of 25.1 points 7.9 assists and 4.1 rebounds a game. His confidence is essential to any success the Bulls have because he handles the ball on every position.
4. Cliff Lee is once again a member of an outstanding starting rotation in Philadelphia. In fact, he is now back with the same team he almost singlehandedly led through the 2009 playoffs before the Phil’s finally ran out of steam in the World Series against the New York Yankees. Lee’s confidence was on full display on the biggest stage as he posted two wins, a sparkling 2.81 ERA and 16 total innings including a complete game in Game 1. The former Cy Young award winner relies on pinpoint accuracy and an innate ability to keep hitters off balance with a wealth of pitches and speeds.
3. Lionel Messi is an Argentine soccer player and is currently a member of the prestigious international soccer club FC Barcelona. In a sport that requires more endurance and perhaps more skill than any other, Messi finds a way to separate from the field. It’s not uncommon to find him dicing up the competition and sending it into the back of the net on game day. At the age of 23 he has received the FIFA World Player of the Year award and other international honors. During the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Messi helped his Argentine team win the gold medal. Messi’s mental toughness and confidence may propel him to become one of the greatest soccer players to ever live.
2. Albert Pujols is the best player in baseball and has been since he stepped onto the diamond as a rookie in 2001. “The Machine’s” confidence is illustrated by his career averages which have occurred with more symmetry every season then a mirror image: 331 batting average, 123 runs, 128 RBIs, 44 bombs, with a .426 on base percentage. Many players, for obvious reasons have had a difficult time performing consistently over the course of a 162 game season. Albert has managed to perform at the highest level throughout his career. His confidence and mental toughness are unmatched in the MLB.
1. Sidney Crosby is currently sidelined with a concussion but no injury can keep “The Next One” off the list of most confident athletes. Since coming into the NHL Crosby has become the most dominant force in hockey. In addition to leading the Pittsburgh Penguins to a Stanley Cup championship in 2009, he has also won; a scoring title, the NHL’s MVP equivalent, the Hart Memorial Trophy, and scored the game winning goal against the U.S. as a member of the Canadian team in the 2010 Winter Olympics. Crosby is one of the most feared players in all of sports and he has the confidence to match.
Now who’s on your top 5?
