The National Basketball Players Association (the NBPA) is a labor union that represents basketball players in the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was founded in 1954, making it the oldest trade union of the four major North American professional sports leagues. However, the NBPA did not get recognition by the NBA team owners until ten years later. Its offices are located in the historic Park and Tilford Building at 310 Lenox Ave., New York City. It was briefly a trade association after dissolving as a union during the 2011 NBA lockout.