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Sport

01st Mar 2014

LeBron James told he can’t wear his famous black mask for the Miami Heat anymore

And who said major sporting organisations were no craic whatsoever?

Tony Cuddihy

And who said major sporting organisations were no craic whatsoever?

LeBron James has been told that he’ll have to switch to a clear protective face mask after the NBA decided that the black version he sported against the New York Knicks went against their rules.

The Miami Heat take on Orlando Magic on Saturday night and LeBron, who broke his nose against the Oklahoma City Thunder, will have to switch to something far more conventional.

The 29-year-old appealed the decision to make his switch masks because he liked the fit of the black version. Unfortunately, he was met with a resounding ‘no’ from the game’s hierarchy.

“It is our understanding LeBron used the black mask because a clear one he was comfortable with wasn’t ready,” NBA spokesman Tim Frank said.

The black mask was a massive hit with fans and the Heat even started selling t-shirts with a masked James on Friday.

“Only LeBron can make breaking your nose look cool,” Heat forward Shane Battier said.

It’s thought that James will still find a way to personalise the clear version, hopefully colouring in a Zorro-style ‘Z’ with a felt-tip pen.