LeBron James has attempted to clarify his comments on the possibility of contraction in the NBA.

James says he never intended to advocate contraction when he said the league was "watered down" when compared to the 1980s.

"That's crazy, because I had no idea what the word 'contraction' meant before I saw it on the Internet," James said.

"I never even mentioned that. That word never even came out of my mouth. I was just saying how the league was back in the '80s and how it could be good again. I never said, 'Let's take some of the teams out.' "

On Thursday, he told reporters that he would like to see more stars playing together instead of them being spread out throughout the league.

The comments came at a strange time with the NBA's collective bargaining agreement set to expire after the 2010-11 season.

"I'm with the players, and the players know that," James said.

"I've been with the players. It's not about getting guys out of the league or knocking teams out. I didn't mean to upset nobody. I didn't tell Avery Johnson to leave either. I didn't say let's abandon the Nets, and not let them move to Brooklyn or let's tear down the Target Center in Minnesota. I never said that."