PHOTO: LeBron's black mask is intimidatingly awesome

Those hoping that LeBron James would rock an awesome protective mask for Thursday's game against the New York Knicks will not be disappointed.

The reigning NBA MVP stepped onto the court with an all-black mask that makes him even more intimidating than usual.

And another angle:

Oh, and here he is doing his pregame routine with the mask:

James joked at Wednesday's team practice that he had been in contact with Marvel Comics, DC Comics, and others to "come up with the greatest mask of all time."

Well, it certainly ranks up there with the greatest NBA masks of all time, and it's also significantly better than the clear mask LeBron was forced to wear after fracturing a cheekbone back in 2005:

It remains unclear why James is allowed to wear a black mask after Kyrie Irving was forced to switch to a clear one back in 2012.