While most of LeBron James' critics were having a field day denouncing his "I'm the best player in the world" comment, one rather important sports figure found inspiration in it.
Yahoo! Sports reported that the world's No. 1 golfer, Rory McIlroy, is borrowing King James' mantra as he prepares for the U.S. Open that begins on Thursday at Chambers Bay in University Place, Wash.
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The 26-year-old McIlroy is seeking is fifth Grand Slam title that would put him on par with golf luminaries Phil Mickelson, Seve Ballesteros and Byron Nelson.
"I think when LeBron talks about that, that's not confidence, that's a fact - I guess - when you look at how he's carried his team in these finals. So if you look at the numbers, you can really see he is the best player in the world.
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Which not only gives James justification for his self-proclamation but also gives McIlroy license to borrow.
"And I guess for me I feel the same way, when I look at the world rankings and I see my name up at the top," McIlroy said. "If you look back at the last four or five years, I guess I've won more majors than anyone else in that time period.
"So do I feel like the best player in the world? Yes. And obviously I want to go out every week and try to back that up and show that."
McIlroy missed back-to-back cuts in European events in his last two outings, but he says mental fatigue was to blame after he started the year with two PGA wins and a fourth-place result at Augusta - where he faced heavy pressure to complete his career Grand Slam.
"I'd rather, in a six-tournament period, have three wins and three missed cuts than six top-10s. It's just that volatility in golf is actually a good thing. If your good weeks are really good, it far outweighs the bad weeks."
Like LeBron, McIlroy has to contend with an up-and-comer in Jordan Spieth, the Masters champion. Unlike LeBron, McIlroy doesn't have to rely on a no-name supporting cast to aid him in his quest. He says the pressure on him at the U.S. Open isn't the same as it was at the Masters.
"It's hugely important, a chance to win a second U.S. Open and the fifth major, and that's all important," McIlroy said. "But there was just so much hype and so much attention around Augusta, this one feels very different."
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