Why is the one Pistons basketball player wearing a clear face mask

[Jodi1980]

?

 

[gymnasticsmom68]

He's had his nose broke twice this year.

 

[cynsaun]

It could be because he has previously had a broken bone in his face. I had a friend that had to wear a face guard because his cheek had been broken at one point, and if he ever had it injured again it would have been irreversible and he would have gone blind.

 

[phorsenuf]

Thank you for asking this question! I've been meaning to post it since 3 games ago!!!

 

[dwbakerjr]

...and it came in handy last night, when Gary Payton showed his usual class in the 4th quarter (as the Lakers were being routed), and he put a cheap fore-arem shiver on Hamilton... right in the face..

good job Pistons.... (Ben Wallace should have been MVP, in my opinion).

 

[Magix]

They said on the game last night that he'd already had his nose broken twice and his doctors told him if it was broken again he'd end up needing surgery and would be out for the rest of the season. The face mask distributes all the pressure from facial hits up to his forehead area.

Looks freaky, though.