Dwight Howard Floors LeBron James with Elbow to Broken Nose

LeBron James has had a busy couple of weeks. From breaking his nose, scoring 61 points and getting floored by superstar center Dwight Howard. There has always been a friendly rivalry between the pair, but it turned physical in last nights encounter, albeit accidently.

LeBron James was already wearing a protective mask to keep his broken nose from further damage, but in the Miami Heat's encounter against the Houston Rockets, both James and Howard jumped for the ball at the same time, with LeBron getting Howard's elbow hit straight in to his face. LeBron removed the mask and steadied himself before finishing the game, but it clearly startled the superstar.

LeBron then tried to get one over Howard by attempting a buzzer-beating shot to tie the game, but it missed, leading the Rockets to a 106-103 victory. James appeared to be in good spirits after the game, and why wouldn't he be? It appears even damage after damage to the superstars nose isn't enough to hold him back, or to stop him from smiling.

Is it likely that LeBron will disappear and stay clear of the headlines? Not a chance. The Heat are a certainty for the playoffs, and are a hot favourite to try and win the NBA championship for the third time in a row, so LeBron will be grabbing the headlines for one reason or another for a few months at least. Then there's the free agency matter to be dealt with. Could the superstar return to his former team, the Cleveland Cavaliers?