The best sports quotes of 2012

“I’m now a legend. I’m also the greatest athlete to live.” Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, after retaining his 100 and 200 metre Olympic titles. “I never got this far in my dreams.” Bubba Watson, after winning the Masters in a dramatic play-off with Louis Oosthuizen. “It’s about damn time.” Miami Heat forward LeBron James, after winning his first NBA title. “If he’s given Roger Federer, he’s not prepared to play with Roger Federer, because he’s not prepared himself.” Krishna Bhupathi, Mahesh Bhupathi’s father on his son’s stand during the Olympic tennis team selection row. “The only one that I need to worry about is Vishnu. The poor boy is 307 in the world and I don’t even know if he has grasscourt shoes.” Leander Paes speaks about his partner Vishnu Vardhan – making it clear what his biggest worry was before going to the Olympics. [caption id=“attachment_570848” align=“alignright” width=“380”]  “I’m now a legend. I’m also the greatest athlete to live.” - Usain Bolt. Reuters[/caption] “I am sad and the club knows it, that’s why I didn’t celebrate the goals. The people in the club know why.” Cristiano Ronaldo, apparently sad at Real Madrid. “There comes a point in every man’s life when he has to say, ‘Enough is enough.’ For me, that time is now.” Lance Armstrong, announcing he would not contest the doping charges against him and his former team. “I only won one title on penalties. I always lose. I don’t know why. If you ask me why, maybe because I don’t take them or save them myself.” Jose Mourinho, being Jose Mourinho. “If the sword breaks, attack with the hands. If they cut off your hands, push the enemy with your shoulders, even with your teeth.”  F1 Championship runner-up Fernando Alonso, about his battles with Vettel. “Miracles do happen in Manchester. Only this time it’s on this side of the road.” “Maybe the referee ate too much for Christmas.” Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini on his side’s Premier League 2011-12 triumph and a recent loss to Sunderland respectively. “I always felt tennis was easier for me playing as world number one than actually getting there.” Swiss legend Roger Federer after reaching a combined total of 300 weeks as number one in October. “Jose is very intelligent, he has charisma, his players play for him, and he is a good looking guy. I think I have most of those things, too, apart from his good looks.” Alex Ferguson during a lecture at Harvard Business School. “There’s not just tennis in my life. I like cooking, gardening, reading, decorating the house, putting up the Christmas tree and running.” Former world number one Kim Clijsters on her retirement. “My mother used to tell us in the mornings, ‘Carl put on your shoes, Oscar you put on your prosthetic legs … So I grew up not really thinking I had a disability. I grew up thinking I had different shoes.” South Africa’s Oscar Pistorius, nicknamed ‘Blade Runner’ because of the carbon fibre blades he runs on, on his and brother Carl’s upbringing. “I think everybody pees in the pool. It’s kind of a normal thing to do with swimmers. Chlorine kills it so it’s not bad.” Olympic great Michael Phelps admits to a different sort of gold run – his habit of peeing in the pool. “Lance Armstrong has no place in cycling. He deserves to be forgotten in cycling.” UCI chief Pat McQuaid when asked bout the legacy of banned drug cheat Lance Armstrong   We will publish another article with the best cricket quotes of the year. Till then, please post your favourite sports quotes in the comments section.