LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul were among the players that attended Thursday's negotiating session between the NBA and the union.

"It's important for me that all of us, as being the faces of the NBA, to be involved in the negotiations and what's going on," Anthony said when he left. "Our future is in jeopardy if we can't come into a mutual agreement."

Union executive director Billy Hunter said 14 players participated in the meeting in Manhattan.

It was the first bargaining session since February's All-Star weekend, when the players rejected the owners' proposal to replace the current collective bargaining agreement, which expires June 30, 2011.