LeBron James officially listed as game-time decision against New York Knicks on Thursday

Feb 23, 2014; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat small forward LeBron James congratulates point guard Mario Chalmers (15) in the second half of a game against the Chicago Bulls at American Airlines Arena.The Heat won 93-79. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports /

LeBron James is a human being.

That seems like a funny statement to make, but with jokes flying about his “machine-like” tendencies this season (and really, over the last decade), it was almost odd to see him with a broken nose spewing blood against the Oklahoma City Thunder last Thursday. James was sidelined for Miami’s next game (a 14-point win over the Chicago Bulls), and now, his status for Thursday’s tip-off against the New York Knicks is up in the air.

Contrary to popular belief, James hasn’t been declared active for Thursday’s game (although reports are positive), and he is officially listed as a game-time decision by the team. For me, this is a perfect opportunity for the Heat to take things slowly with LeBron, especially given the opponent (New York is 21-36) and the venue (the game is at home in Miami), but if he can go, he will likely play.

A broken nose isn’t an injury that James will be limited by if he takes the floor, and the bigger story will probably switch to what kind of mask he is wearing. These are the things that happen when you are the best basketball player on Earth.