Cavaliers F and NBPA Exec VP LeBron James' message yesterday during a Players' Association meeting in Las Vegas "was one about unity, power for the players, and union participation ahead of likely new collective bargaining sessions with NBA owners over the next two years," according to several players in attendance cited by Joe Vardon of the Cleveland PLAIN DEALER. The players "took no action" on the CBA, nor did they "do anything formal with issues like cameramen being too close to the court." But players "described a lively discussion" led by James, Clippers G and NBPA President Chris Paul, Warriors F Andre Iguodala, Knicks F Lou Amundson and others about "getting on the same page as a union before going back to the bargaining table." Amundson said, "We're in a really unique position right now as a union, with the growth of this league and all the money coming in to increase our significance in this collective bargaining situation with the NBA." He added, "Going into the last lockout, I felt like that was a big issue for us. The more unified and the more significant that we are, the more money we have coming in and the more streams of revenue we have, the better off we are going into negotiations." Spurs G Danny Green said James "pretty much helped the players understand things about backing the union" (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 7/21).
