The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) and National Basketball Referees Association (NBRA) took advantage of this weekend's All-Star festivities to get together for a private meeting in Los Angeles on Saturday and agree on four ways to improve relations between the two sides.

The two unions released a joint statement announcing the results of the meeting, which included three players, three referees and officials from both unions, according to a report from ESPN.

The actions agreed to are the following: Enhanced education and clarification around the "Respect for the Game" rules, the opening of an additional channel of communication for future conflicts, plans for future meetings and discussions and a broad review of existing rules and regulations and developing joint recommendations to enhance them.

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"In this meeting, we took some important steps in identifying existing frustrations for both sides," said NBPA executive director Michele Roberts in a statement. "Now with that information, we plan to move forward and continue to work together to find solutions that will enhance the on-court experience for both parties."

"Our two unions met out of the necessity to examine issues that have previously been left unaddressed," said NBRA spokesperson Mark Denesuk in the same release. "We look forward to continued collaboration between our two organizations to explore common interests."

Growing tensions between players and referees has been an oft-discussed topic in the NBA this season. The NBPA and NBRA intend to continue to meet through the spring and into the summer in order to make further progress toward improving relations, according to the joint release.

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