LeBron James Discusses NBPA's CBA Talks with NBA

While the negotiations for league collective bargaining agreements usually revolve around the amount of money going to the active players, the next NBA deal will feature plenty of help for retired players.

On Thursday, NBPA vice president LeBron James explained the importance of helping those who came before him, per Jon Krawczynski and Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press: 

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We got a group of guys that are in there that know the negotiations, so any way to give back and try to help our former teammates and help former players and things of that nature. Because we've all built this league together. No matter how big of a guy you were or if you were the 15th guy on the bench, we all built this league into what it is today. But it's not just my idea. I'm not taking any credit for that. But it's all part of the process.

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James and NBPA president Chris Paul have prioritized aid to retired players over increasing money to those who are still in the league.

According to the AP report, the NBA will fund education programs and medical expenses for former players. The result of the agreement would also be that the owners and players keep the current 50-50 split of basketball-related income.

The negotiations have reportedly featured much more progress than the last time around. There was a lockout after the previous CBA expired in 2011, which led to a shortened season that featured just 66 games for each team.

With the latest television deals leading to increased salary cap and bigger contracts, however, money likely won't be at the forefront of the next round of negotiations.

"I just want to see the league continue to grow," James said. "That's all that matters to me."