This was published 12 years ago
Fairer play: Sports stars forget vanity
LeBron James looked every bit the comic book villain after donning this mask to protect his nose.
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The Heat superstar admitted he felt uncomfortable in the mask that was hot and prone to fogging. (AAP)
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It didn't seem to inconvenience him to much though, as he went on to score 31 points in the 108-82 win over the New York Knicks. (AAP)
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It wasn't the first time the four-time NBA MVP had worn a protective mask in his career. (Getty)
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Kobe Bryant wore a number of different masks during the 2012 season - with this transparent version looking far less menacing than LeBron's. (Getty)
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Sometimes these masks look more masquerade ball than sports medicine, as modelled here by former England midfielder Paul Gascoigne.
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When Demba Ba's nose was broken by the foot of Newcastle United's Fabricio Coloccini, he wasn't going to wear just any old protective gear. (Getty)
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Instead he had Italian craftsman Stefano Duchini design a special carbon fibre mask. (Getty)
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A sign of things to come? When Demba Ba was at Newcastle, he got a close up view of Steven Taylor's mask.
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When Fernando Torres donned a mask after breaking his nose during a Europa League match against Steaua Bucharest, it sparked a scoring spree for the Spanish star. Scoring four goals in three outings, it led manager Rafa Benitez to suggest Torres would keep the mask on even after his nose healed.
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