LeBron James cedes to NBA request; will ditch black mask

LeBatman James may be the hero the NBA deserves, but his mask is not what it needs right now.

The league informed LeBron James he is not allowed to wear the black mask he donned on Thursday. James will need to pick a different, approved mask to protect his broken nose when the Miami Heat host the Orlando Magic on Saturday.

"We've had numerous ones made, so he will have his pick and will choose one that is authorized also by the league," coach Erik Spoelstra told ESPN.com after the Heat's shootaround. "We did talk to the league [Friday]. So stay tuned for what mask you'll see tonight."

The NBA took no issue with James' mask on Thursday, but told him on Friday he would need to use something else. Reports initially indicated James would appeal the decision, but it appears a compromise has been reached.

No matter what James wears, teammate Chris Bosh knows it will be a story.

"We know that if LeBron changes his clothes, that's going to be a big deal," Bosh said. "So whatever he does, that's going to garner a lot of attention. It was a story, and now they said he can't wear [the black mask] anymore, so that's that. I haven't seen the clear one yet, so we'll see [tonight]."

James called the black mask "a success" after Thursday's game, saying it held up well whenever he was hit in the face. Whether or not his next mask will provide the same comfort remains to be seen.