LeBron Wears Black Mask, Terrifies NBA
These masks are fairly common in the NBA. Oftentimes they have a disarming effect, making players look silly or vulnerable.
But LeBron's mask, like Kobe's before him, only made him more sinister.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told ESPN, "I liked the look of it; it looked menacing. As long as he was aggressive, that was the big key."
Menacing might be an understatement (via r/nba):
Shane Battier summed it up well in an interview with ESPN's Michael Wallace:
"I thought it looked pretty sweet. I don't think that it will inspire people to go out there and break their nose. But if you're going to do it, it can look kind of cool. Only LeBron can make breaking your nose look cool."
Masked LeBron:
Chris Bosh took a picture with it on Instagram: