Leave it to LeBron James, one of the most dominant players ever in professional basketball, to ignite the NBA (and the sports world) over something other than his phenomenal hoop abilities.
James, the four-time MVP whose net worth is $185 million, wore an electrifying carbon fiber black mask Thursday night in the game against the New York Knicks to protect his broken nose. The mask drew instant comparisons to Batman, the Phantom of the Opera, the Green Hornet, Hannibal Lecter and others – firing up a social media explosion and even its own Twitter handle.
Now LeBron has bowed to the NBA’s request that he leave the black mask at home for tonight’s game against the Orlando Magic.
On Saturday afternoon LeBron agreed to wear a more traditional clear mask. (Rules are rules in the NBA, after all.) But there’s rampant speculation LeBron may somehow “personalize” whatever see-through mask he wears in tonight’s game – and fans are ablaze.
The Miami Heat coach, Erik Spoelstra, told ESPN about the black mask, “I liked the look of it. It looked menacing. As long as he was aggressive, that was the big key.”
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James, who called the mask “a success,” scored 31 points Thursday night against the Knicks with four rebounds and four assists. He “played like Batman out there,” said Chris Bosh, the Heat’s center. The Heat smashed the Knicks 108-82.
Whatever James does, he tends to attract high-wattage attention. This year alone James, 29, will earn $19 million in salary from the Heat and about $45 million in endorsements. The NBA star made more in endorsements last year than the top 10 Major League Baseball players combined, according to Forbes.
An instant memorabilia item from the Heat – a must-have $25 T-shirt – shows a close-up of LeBron in the menacing mask. The Heat’s pitch is this: “Show everyone that you’ve seen LeBron play in his black mask with this Miami HEAT LeBron James Mask T-shirt … This is a must-have for real LeBron fans!”
James told reporters he chose the darker model because it matched the Heat’s black uniforms and was made of a carbon-fiber material that “is actually lighter than the ones I’ve been wearing in practice, so I went with it,” James said. He’ll need protective nose gear for several weeks after fracturing his nose in a game on Feb. 20.
The South Florida company that made LeBron’s black mask also created a lighter version he could have worn against the Knicks. In addition, James reportedly had a traditional clear fiberglass mask in his locker on Thursday.
He’s not the first NBA player to have to hang up a non-clear protective mask. Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving wore one last year to protect a broken nose but was asked to change it out for a clear version. Kobe Bryant of the L.A. Lakers also briefly wore a black mask in 2012 after breaking his nose.
Still, LeBron, always a major draw both on and off the court, is now potentially garnering a whole new fan base for his masked-man appeal – as well as companies with dreams of dollar signs. “I got a good feeling I’ll be receiving some emails from mask makers who will make me whatever I want,” said James with a smile after Thursday night’s game. Stay tuned. (Update: James wore a clear plain mask Saturday night against the Magic, scoring 20 points and grabbing 9 rebounds and 7 assists in the Heat's 112-98 victory.)
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This article was updated on March 2, 2014.
