Watch: Masked LeBron James dominates New York Knicks with a 31-point outing, 8 years ago today

LeBron James in action during the 2013-14 season for the Miami Heat [Source SB Nation]

Eight years ago today, LeBron James was the latest NBA superstar to produce an iconic performance while donning a face mask. He was with the Miami Heat at the time.

He fractured his nose following a dunk attempt against Serge Ibaka, who played for the OKC Thunder.

James did not take long to return to the court, missing just one game. He played his first match back against the New York Knicks, sporting a black face mask to protect his broken nose.

The mask ended up being the highlight of the night as he went off for 31 points, shooting 13 of 19, dishing out four dimes and grabbing four rebounds.

The Miami Heat ended up beating the Knicks 108-82, courtesy of LeBron James' stellar outing. Here's a clip of some of his best plays from that match, uploaded by 'BALL IS LIFE' on Twitter:

BLACK MASK LEBRON 👑
8 years ago today https://t.co/Ux7nxynHU8

James went on to make his third Finals appearance in a row that year. Unfortunately, he failed to lead the Heat past the San Antonio Spurs, losing the series by a 1-4 margin.

The four-time MVP left Miami that year and returned to his former team, the Cleveland Cavaliers.

LeBron James struggling to lead Los Angeles Lakers to winning results.

LeBron James is in the middle of one of the best scoring seasons of his career. The 37-year-old is averaging 29.8 points per game so far for the Los Angeles Lakers.

However, his efforts haven't often impacted the eventual outcome of games for his side. The Lakers are ninth in the Western Conference with a 27-32 record and are likely to end up in the play-in tournament again.

The Lakers have the oldest roster in the league right now, which has led to them being one of the weakest teams defensively.

They just haven't played with the same intensity as some of the younger teams. LA undoubtedly has one of the most talented and experienced rosters, but they lack chemistry.

It takes a lifetime to perfect an unguardable shot. Here are some of @KingJames' best fadeaway jumpers as a Laker. https://t.co/opI2CgmGJX

So despite their superstar forward's best efforts, the LA Lakers haven't been able to achieve the kind of results they were expected to before the season even started.

They are in a tough spot right now and will likely have to play the majority of their remaining regular-season games without Anthony Davis.

The Lakers will be looking forward to LeBron James in the meantime. Their hopes are that he can have a great deal of individual impact moving forward, while leading the team to better playoff seeding.