Vice President LeBron James steps up his players’ union participation

“So, LeBron James, Steph Curry and Chris Paul walk into the Four Seasons…”

It might sound like the start of a very good joke—or of a very big-budget commercial—but it actually happened on Monday in Las Vegas, when members of the NBA Players Association gathered for summer meetings at the Four Seasons hotel. Notably in attendance was Cleveland Cavalier LeBron James, who has not been incredibly active in players’ union activities until now, but was elected as the union’s first vice president during the past season’s All-Star break. And according to reigning league MVP Stephen Curry, James did more than just sit in. “We have a lot of voices, a lot of people were vocal, but he [James] talked about what it takes to get to the next level as a union,” Curry said. “It wasn’t anything specific, but he was very vocal.”

What, exactly, was James vocal about? According to several players who were there, James spoke about the importance of power for the players, union participation and building unity as a group—similar messages to those he delivered when he was elected to union leadership in February.

Union participation seems particularly important when you consider that many players may be setting their sights on securing a larger share of the NBA’s forthcoming nine-year TV deal. The deal, set to bring $24 billion into the league, begins in 2016 and means that future collective bargaining sessions with NBA owners are almost certain. Either side can opt out of the current agreement, under which players would receive 51-percent of the TV deal.

According to NEOMG, the union did not take action on the collective bargaining agreement—yet—nor did it determine anything related to player issues such as cameramen being too close to the court. The players in attendance did, however, take part in an informative discussion that, in addition to James and Curry, included union president and Los Angeles Clipper Chris Paul, Finals MVP Andre Iguodala and even former Cavaliers Lou Amundson, Danny Green and Drew Gooden.

Now with the Washington Wizards, Gooden said it was good to see his friend and former teammate actively participating in union efforts. “I’m jokingly saying this because I’m his boy, I’d never see ‘Bron at a meeting before,” he said. “It was good to see where he’s at and the value of him being there as a union.” Gooden added that, after 12 seasons in the NBA without much union participation, James could now serve as the “voice of the guys on the other side of the podium. I’m glad he’s here to bridge that gap.”

Former teammate Green also spoke to the value James brings to the table when it comes to the complexities of the collective bargaining agreement. “He did a great job for his first time. He understands it well, he broke it down well for guys to understand. Chris did a good job also. He [James] did what all great rep leaders do, he broke it down for us so we can understand and make decisions and pass it on to our teammates for votes.”