The Los Angeles Lakers post-free-agency press conference produced a hilarious moment when the team's newly signed players were asked if they had heard from Kobe Bryant yet.

Roy Hibbert, Lou Williams, and Brandon Bass, sitting at the table, all silently looked around at one another, waiting for someone to speak.

Apparently nobody has heard from Kobe. The moment was caught by ESPN's Dave McMenamin:

Can't make this stuff up. Perhaps this was a planned reaction from all three, but the fact that they never broke their silence or admitted they had heard from Kobe makes it seem as though they're being serious in their silence.

A look at the reactions ...

Roy Hibbert is unfazed:

Lou Williams wants the next question:

Brandon Bass gets it!

Kobe Bryant has come under fire for being a poor free-agent recruiter because of his unwillingness to relinquish a role as top dog. He reportedly didn't win over LaMarcus Aldridge earlier this summer.

Perhaps Kobe decided to sit this session out and the let the Lakers handle it.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How billionaire Michael Jordan makes and spends his money

Star reporter Adrian Wojnarowski, the NBA's most influential insider, will be staying at Yahoo, according to Jason McIntyre of The Big Lead, and it might not have happened if Marissa Mayer did not get involved in the negotiations.

It had previously been reported by McIntyre that Wojnarowski was being “heavily courted by multiple media outlets,” and that Sports Illustrated was considered the favorite to lure him away from Yahoo Sports. The idea was that SI, or wherever Woj landed, would give him his own vanity sports website completely devoted to the NBA under the banner of a larger company, something akin to Peter King's NFL vertical, TheMMQB.com.

However, that changed once Mayer stepped in.

“SI sources say they grew worried about luring [Wojnarowski] once Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer got involved in discussions," McIntyre wrote.

It is unclear if Yahoo will give Wojnarowski his own MMQB-like vertical, but sources did tell The Big Lead that Mayer “made a significant long-term commitment to build an NBA-type franchise around Wojnarowski.”

This is at least the second time in recent weeks that Mayer has gotten directly involved in the sports arm of Yahoo, with the company launching a daily fantasy sports service earlier this month.

Eric Fisher of Sports Business Journal reports that Wojnarowski agreed to a four-year contract.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: REVEALED: The science behind the super-powerful T-shirt cannon

Houston Rockets wing K.J. McDaniels took an unusual risk on his rookie contract last year, and now he's reaping the rewards for it.

McDaniels, the Philadelphia 76ers' 32nd pick in the draft in 2014, went against the grain and signed a one-year, non-guaranteed rookie contract. Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski reported at the time that he and his agent rejected the usual four-year deal (with the first two years guaranteed and the second two years non-guaranteed) the 76ers typically offer rookies.

By rejecting a team-friendly contract that would have given him long-term security, he created a high-risk, high-reward scenario for himself.

Under the normal four-year contract the Sixers offer second-round picks, the team could have cut a him after two years with no financial penalty. They do this because in a best-case scenario, they could get two years to judge a player, then guarantee his next two years at a cheap rate if he's good. Otherwise, after two years, the Sixers can cut him or use the player as a valuable trade chip.

McDaniels instead took a gamble, playing on a one-year deal worth the minimum of $507,000, which allowed him to become a free agent this summer. In doing so, McDaniels sacrificed long-term security. If he didn't end up getting any playing time, he likely wouldn't have earned a bigger contract (or a longer one), and if he had gotten seriously hurt, his career could have been in jeopardy.

It paid off for McDaniels, though. After a strong first half of the season with the Sixers, he was traded to the Rockets at the deadline. Though he didn't play much in Houston, he hit restricted free agency this summer and got a three-year, $10 million offer from the Rockets.

The gamble almost turned against him when he was traded, too. He went from playing 25 minutes per game with the Sixers to playing three minutes per game with the Rockets. When he hit free agency this summer, the Rockets could have given him a low offer, forcing him to once again prove himself.

Instead, Houston liked the potential they saw from McDaniels in Philly, and McDaniels got paid more handsomely than almost any other player from the 2014 draft class.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Watch Cristiano Ronaldo star in a bizarre ad for his Japanese ab machine

Over the years costumed fans have become a staple of the Tour de France. Every day you'll see people dressed as bananas, musketeers, and various farm animals on the side of the road.

It's one of the strangest quirks of one of the world's greatest sporting event, but it's also totally unique to the Tour.

Reuters photographers have captured some fantastic shots of these fans, and we picked out our favorites.

Didi Sentf, better known as "The Devil" or "El Diablo," has been a fixture at the Tour de France since 1993, despite being 63 years old.

Source: Didi Sentf's website

Some spectators don't want to be just spectators, they prefer to run side-by-side the competing cyclists.

Some watch while riding in place.

NOW WATCH: People doing backflips on a two-inch wide strap is a real sport called slacklining

Mexico beat Panama 2-1 in extra time of the teams' Concacaf Gold Cup semifinal on Wednesday night thanks to a controversial penalty late in the game that led to a tying penalty kick by Mexico.

The penalty came in the 89th minute. Panama was leading 1-0 when Mexico played a long pass into the box. After falling to the ground, Román Torres of Panama (in red) got up, lost his balance, and then fell back to the ground on top of the ball. A hand ball was called, and a penalty kick was awarded to Mexico.

While the announcers were divided on whether this should have been a penalty, it was clear Torres was fouled with a kick to the legs from behind leading to the initial fall, and it was unclear whether he ever saw the ball before falling the second time.

After that, all hell broke loose in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

Fans started throwing things onto the field. Players started to scuffle and throw things at one another near the benches.

One player from Panama was even seen taking something out of a team cooler and randomly throwing it at fans in the stands.

Torres even got in Mexico coach Miguel Herrera's face at one point:

The match was delayed for more than 10 minutes before order was restored. Andrés Guardado eventually came back to the field and converted the penalty kick to tie the match.

Guardado's celebration was muted, despite giving Mexico hope for reaching the Gold Cup final.

"I didn't celebrate, because that penalty call left me with a bad taste," Guardado told Fox Sports 2 after the match (via SportingNews.com).

Guardado even went so far as to say he considered missing the penalty on purpose.

"I thought about it, but one has to be professional," Guardado told the media. "We've been on the other side."

Panama played most of the match with only 10players after another controversial call; Luis Tejada was given a red card for striking an opponent in the face as both went up to play a long ball.

Mexico went on to score on a second penalty in extra time on a clear foul that led to the 2-1 victory. Chaos broke loose once again after the match, however, as players and coaches for Panama charged the referee.

He would eventually be escorted off the pitch by security.

In the locker room, Team Panama was not shy about how it felt about the match, holding up a sign that translated to "Concacaf thieves."

And the cover of one Panama newspaper went a step further, altering a photo by adding a wad of American cash into the hand of the referee with a headline that translates to "Fucking Referee!"

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here's how soccer superstars Ronaldo and Messi match up

The NFL world is still waiting on a decision from Roger Goodell on Tom Brady's four-game Deflategate suspension.

In the meantime, Mike Florio of ProFootball Talk reports that there have been settlement talks between the NFL Players Association and the NFL, but they haven't gone anywhere.

According to Florio, "Roger Goodell is being pushed by a small handful of influential owners to hold firm on the four-game suspension."

Brady and the NFLPA have threatened to take the NFL to court if Brady's suspension isn't wiped entirely. According to ESPN, Brady is "holding firm" in his refusal to accept any suspension, although he'd reportedly accept a fine.

Florio also reports that Goodell and the NFL are hesitant to keep Brady's full suspension because of the fear that they'll be taken to court and overruled.

For Goodell, this is a lose-lose situation. Owners, of course, don't want Goodell to cut Brady and the Patriots a break. The Patriots have a history with foul play, and Brady's suspension gives the added benefit of having a Brady-less Patriots team for the first month of the season.

However, if Goodell doesn't bend, the NFL then has to deal with the NFLPA taking them to court — a mess they'd surely rather avoid. As Florio notes, Goodell's best bet is probably to hold firm on the suspension, therefore winning over owners, and go to court, where if the suspension is overturned, it's suddenly out of his hands and he can't be held responsible.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Watch what happens after FIFA's Sepp Blatter has a wad of cash thrown at him

The US men's national team lost 2-1 to Jamaica in the Gold Cup semifinals on Wednesday night, crashing out of the most important tournament in North American soccer in shocking fashion.

As Gold Cups go, this was as big as it gets. Every country brought its "A" team (unlike in 2013, when the US beat a depleted field), and winning the whole thing would have automatically qualified the US for the Confederations Cup in Russia in 2017. It was the second-biggest competition the US has played in under coach Jurgen Klinsmann.

By any measure, it was a failure. Jamaica is ranked 76th in the world. It is the first time the US has lost to a Caribbean team at home in 47 years. SI's Grant Wahl called it the biggest upset loss in American soccer history.

Even beyond the Jamaica game, the US underwhelmed. Entering the tournament as favorites, the US eked out two narrow wins and a draw in the group stage, during which it was outshot by 51 to 20:

A 6-0 win over Cuba, which was already one of the weaker teams in the Gold Cup before a string of defections, proved to be an aberration. While there is an argument to be made that the US deserved a better result against Jamaica, you can't say the US played well enough to win this tournament.

In the aftermath, we're seeing the US soccer community start to question Klinsmann. From player selection (starting the young pair of Ventura Alvarado and John Brooks in central defense) to tactics (playing Michael Bradley as an attacking midfielder) to preparation (how weren't they ready for Jamaica's counterattacks?), Klinsmann is facing his most heated criticism since World Cup qualifying got off to a dicey start in 2013.

Leander Schaerlaeckens of Yahoo asked whether the US was really any different under Klinsmann than it was over the past decade:

Going by the results, and by the visual evidence as well, Klinsmann's national team is not demonstrably better than any of its previous incarnations. The revolving door along the back line continues to give away results. The midfield remains incapable of imposing itself consistently or nurturing the ball with the care it requires. And the front line is a grab bag of shoulda-beens, might-one-day-bes and never-weres.

ESPN's Jeff Carlisle wrote about the Alvarado/Brooks pairing:

Given the success that Klinsmann has had in the past gambling on younger players, especially at that aforementioned World Cup, one was inclined to give him a pass on his decision when it was made. But this was one occasion when the U.S. manager's roster compass was way off, and it was evident throughout the tournament. When paired together, neither Alvarado nor Brooks ever managed to put in a complete performance, and there was a growing sense that a good team would punish the mistakes that the Americans were making.

Matthew Doyle of MLS.com had this assessment of Klinsmann's tenure:

Klinsmann's results through four years have not been better than [Bob] Bradley's, and they have been worse than Bruce Arena's. All while our style of play has regressed to the bad-old-days of hopeless long-balls and hopeful crosses.

Worth noting:

Klinsmann isn't your typical national-team coach. He is also the technical director, meaning his job description and goals go behind results. That's what makes him so hard to evaluate. The results are the same as or worse than his predecessor's, and the style of play is just as far from the top teams in the world as it was in 2011. But he has also grown the player pool by recruiting dual-nationals and giving chances to young players such as DeAndre Yedlin. In addition, you could argue that this is a team in transition that was always going to struggle before the post-Donovan/Dempsey generation matured.

Now all eyes will turn to October 9, when the US will play a one-game playoff against the 2015 Gold Cup champion to determine which Concacaf team goes to the Confed Cup. Lose that game, and Klinsmann will be under even more heat.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: REVEALED: The science behind the super-powerful T-shirt cannon

The New York Knicks had an unexpectedly quiet summer in free agency.

They were expected to chase the biggest free agents to quicken their rebuild, but instead settled for Arron Afflalo and Robin Lopez as their two biggest signings — not exactly marquee names.

However, it seems that this may have been Phil Jackson's plan all along. In particular, Jackson seemed to show little interest in the biggest free agent of the summer, LaMarcus Aldridge.

Aldridge, who signed with the San Antonio Spurs, went on ESPN's Russillo Show and said he and the Knicks both decided to call off a meeting after the Knicks told him they only wanted him to play center as opposed to his natural position, power forward.

"About the New York Knicks, they told me that they wanted me to play strictly [center]," Aldridge said. "So they didn’t want to meet with me. People was saying it was me, but it was both parties agreeing that we shouldn’t meet."

Aldridge has played power forward his whole career, and like many power forwards, doesn't like shifting up to play center, where the play is more physical, particularly on defense.

The natural reaction to this would be to wonder why the Knicks would essentially give the best free agent of the summer an ultimatum: "Play our way or no thanks." However, it's actually an encouraging sign for the Knicks going forward — they both recognize the current small-ball trend in the NBA and that to build around Carmelo Anthony, they have to go small and place shooters around him.

The Knicks' most successful season in the last 15 years came when they played Anthony at power forward, placing three guards around him to spread the floor. If they were going to sign Aldridge, they wanted to ensure he'd be on board for the same plan. Otherwise, Aldridge and Anthony occupy similar spots on the floor, particularly in the high post and midrange areas. If Anthony played small forward, Aldridge played power forward, and they put a center on the floor, the spacing on offense would be poor. The Knicks tried this with the Anthony-Amar'e Stoudemire combination and it failed.

This is not to say the Knicks plan to solely play Anthony at the four — he played small forward for the majority of last season — but it shows an understanding of what works best. Furthermore, No. 4 pick Kristaps Porzingis is a natural power forward (for now), but can spread the floor, so Anthony can remain a small forward if Porzingis is out there with him, creating space on offense.

This summer, Jackson made it clear that the Knicks rebuild would be a slow, patient one. Though Knicks fans would obviously like to see the team return to playoff contention sooner than later, it's also refreshing to see Phil Jackson recognize that the Knicks need to have a certain roster construction, and he won't bend the rules just to chase a flashy name.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: FIFA just spent $30M on a film about itself — and guess who plays Sepp Blatter

Thursday's Stage 18 of the Tour de France took place in a mountainous region of southeastern France near the Alps and the Switzerland border.

It was the Tour's second Alpine stage, and it featured seven categorized climbs. 

Moreover, some portions of this course feature absolutely insane roads that look like someone scribbled pathways onto a mountain. The Guardian's Lawrence Ostlere reports that the switchbacks on the Lacets de Montvernier, a 3.4km climb up a 2,500-foot-high mountain, are so tight and dangerous that fans aren't allowed to line the roads for the main part of the ascent.

The Associated Press got this stunning photo that shows the climb:

Riders have to zig-zag up Montvernier:

Here's another angle:

There are 18 switchbacks:

Here is the course map, courtesy of the Tour's website:

It looks fairly tame from far away, but upon closer look, the map details some of these insane switchbacks:

Here's the Lacets de Montvernier, which is just as crazy on a map:

French rider Romain Bardet won Stage 18 with a time of 5:03:40.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: People were baffled by 50 sharks circling in shallow waters off the English coast

The San Antonio Spurs turned heads prior to the 2014-15 season when they hired Becky Hammon as the first full-time female assistant coach in NBA history. A year later she is already being looked at as a future head coach in the league.

The hire came after Hammon served as an unofficial coaching intern for the Spurs following her playing career. It was the perfect situation for her. She could hone her skills and learn the NBA game under a respected NBA coach, Gregg Popovich, who would never let the situation turn into a sideshow for the media.

To put it simply, many looked at Hammon as a project and if anybody thought she could eventually become an NBA head coach it would be a ways into the future, if at all.

Then the Spurs gave Hammon the reigns of their Summer League team and she led the team to a championship.

This is not to say winning a Summer League championship makes one qualified to be an NBA head coach — it is only seven games — but the tone has changed from “oh, that's interesting” to “she has a real shot to be an NBA head coach.”

One former assistant general manager with the Brooklyn Nets went as far as to say he would consider her for a head coaching job right now.

The biggest factor in favor of Hammon is who she is being mentored by. The opinion of Popovich carries a lot of weight in the NBA and if he says she has what it takes others are going to listen, as explained by Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN. 

“The power of a Popovich endorsement is the NBA’s ultimate seal of approval. NBA general managers and owners have marveled at what a conversation with Popovich during the interview process can do for a candidate. In Atlanta, Mike Budenholzer didn’t exactly ace the interview. But a call from Popovich that touted Budenholzer’s nuanced qualities and commitment to culture moved opinion. When a rival general manager is ready to measure Hammon’s capacity for a head-coaching job, that power of persuasion, which has the league’s best track record, will be at play on [Hammon's] behalf.”

And while it has only been a year, Popovich is already calling her “a natural.”

If there is any doubt what Popovich thinks about her potential, he has also compared her to other NBA head coaches.

Arnovitz explained that Hammon is already building a reputation of having strong coaching instincts and smarts. 

“Those who know Hammon rave about her instincts and understanding of the game,” Arnovitz writes. “She’s quickly established a reputation as an 'out-of-the-box thinker' who appreciates the practical application of situational strategy but also the pursuit of new ideas and innovation, like her mentor, who has emphasized that the former point guard knows as much about the pick-and-roll as Tony Parker.”

Marks went further in his assessment of Hammon's coaching future for CBS Sports Radio. 

“It wouldn’t just be because they went 6-1 in Summer League and beat Phoenix in the finals. I think she has started to prove her merit. She is paying her dues like a lot of the assistant coaches working up the ranks. She played in the league. She was a point guard. That’s your on-field quarterback. She’s being tutored by probably the best coach we’ve seen in a long time in Gregg Popovich.”

Marks also added that the Summer League performance has put her over the top and cannot be ignored noting that he was at Summer League sitting behind her bench and that she has a “certain characteristic” not many people have, comparing her to Milwaukee Bucks head coach Jason Kidd.

She was able to command the respect of the players, according to Marks. Watching her on the sidelines, it is hard to argue.

Of course, there is still work to be done before she takes the next step. She spent most of her first season as an assistant sitting in the second row. She likely needs time on the bench next to Popovich and as Arnovitz points out, she probably also needs time for the rest of the NBA to get to know her before she can truly be accepted into the coaching “fraternity.”

Then again, it only takes one bold owner, in a league full of them, to give her a shot and it could come sooner rather than later.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: This mesmerizing video of Chinese students jumping rope in unison is going viral

Performance-enhancing drugs aren't just for regular sports anymore.

In the world of eSports, however, it's not about bulking up physically. In the world of eSports, performance is about mental acuity and concentration. 

The drug of choice is Adderall, an amphetamine that requires a doctor's prescription. It's used to treat ADHD. Adderall is also common in colleges, where students use it as a study aid. It's a stimulant that enables long periods of concentration, or, as Business Insider science editor Kevin Loria put it: "It's basically speed." 

And that's why it's been so easily adopted by the competitive eSports world.

"We were all on Adderall," Kory “SEMPHIS” Friesen, a professional eSports competitor, said in an interview with Launders on YouTube on July 12.

Here's the full interview (Friesen starts talking about using performance-enhancing drugs at around 7:30):

 Friesen claimed that "everyone" used Adderall at one particular event – a $250,000 prize tournament in Poland – and that it's a commonly used drug among eSports players during competitive events. The event was hosted by ESL, the Electronic Sports League, which is one of the oldest and largest eSports leagues in operation. It boasts "more than 5,000,000 registered members."

As a result, ESL announced on Thursday that it's is implementing anti-doping measures.

We will be administering the first PED [performance-enhancing drug] skin tests at ESL One Cologne this August, with a view to performing these tests at every Intel Extreme Masters, ESL One and ESL ESEA Pro League event thereafter as soon as the official PED policy is established and tournament rules updated accordingly.

ESL is working with European regulators at the Nationale Anti Doping Agentur to establish rules and standards for it's anti-doping measures, and says it will begin implementing the regulations in August. Friesen, meanwhile, won't be punished. ESL representatives told Motherboard, "We can't punish someone if we are not 100 percent sure he is guilty. And as we have no way to test it anymore (we're four months after the event), we won't take action in this specific case."

SEE ALSO: Why your favorite video game series is never, ever coming back

AND: We break down the latest 'Fallout 4' trailer in excruciating detail so you don't have to

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: This is what a ridiculously souped-up $500 Nintendo looks like

In an afternoon game against the Baltimore Orioles, Alex Rodriguez scored his 53rd run of the season, thanks in part to the worst (best?) home plate slide of the year.

Rodriguez walked on his first at-bat. After a double to deep left-center by Chase Headley, Rodriguez rounded the bases from first, and scored on this incredibly ungraceful "slide":

A-Rod lucked out that Orioles catcher Matt Wieters couldn't hold onto the ball, as he almost surely would have been tagged out.

Perhaps it was upon the realization that he wouldn't have to slide that A-Rod tried stopping his momentum, resulting in two hilariously sloppy barrel roles.

Rodriguez is having a solid bounceback season that nobody saw coming, but his baserunning hasn't caught quite up to his power swinging just yet.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: This mesmerizing video of Chinese students jumping rope in unison is going viral

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Marquise Goodwin took home a silver medal in the men's long jump at the Pan Am Games Wednesday, just eight days before he has to report to training camp with the Bills.

Goodwin, who dabbles as both a wide receiver for the Bills and a track athlete representing the US, finished second behind fellow American Jeffrey Henderson in the competition.

Goodwin's longest jump was 27 feet and one and three-quarters of an inch, while Henderson won the event with a jump of 28 feet and one-quarter of an inch. Goodwin, who was cheered on by his wide receivers coach Sanjay Lal, described the moment as "surreal" to ESPN's Jim Caple.

"I always dreamed of doing this, being able to do track and field and the NFL at the same time," Goodwin said. "So it's kind of surreal to have a stage like this and the opportunity to represent my team, the NFL and USA Track and Field."

Goodwin was a two-time NCAA champion while at the University of Texas and he also competed in the 2012 London Olympics, where he finished 10th. He qualified by winning the US Olympic Trials with a jump a 27 feet, 4 inches. That distance would have been good enough for a gold medal in London.

 Still, he told ESPN that he considers football his number one priority.

"I love long-jumping, and if I'm granted the opportunity without repercussions, then I will pursue it further," he said, "but I'm obligated to Buffalo Bills football and that's the main focus."

Goodwin has made nearly $1.5 million in NFL salary since getting drafted in 2013.

He was able to participate at the Pan Am Games because it fell perfectly in between the Bills mandatory minicamp, which ended June 18, and the Bills mandatory training camp, which opens July 31. The men's long jump qualification round at the Pan Am Games was July 21.

If Goodwin attempts to build on his recent success, and compete at the Summer Olympics next year in Brazil, he'll have a much harder time scheduling it around his football career. Next year's Olympics take place August 5 – 21, right in the middle of training camp and NFL's preseason. 

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here's what Rio looks like 500 days before the 2016 Olympics

The Houston Astros made the first big splash leading up to the July 31 trade deadline by trading for Oakland A's starting pitcher Scott Kazmir, according to Ken Rosenthal.

The move is huge for the Astros, who lead the American League Wild Card race and just bolstered their rotation with a starting pitcher who has a 2.38 ERA. But the move could be even bigger for Kazmir, who now stands to make millions more as a free agent this offseason.

By being traded, Kazmir will no longer be subjected to MLB's free-agency compensation system, which has been dubbed, “the worst rule in baseball."

Here's how it works ...

Teams can be compensated for losing for losing key players to free agency. The compensation is paid by the team who signs the free agent, and typically takes the form of their highest unprotected pick in the next draft. (The top 10 picks are protected.)

However, in order to be compensated, the player's current team must first send him a qualifying offer, a one-year contract worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $16 million. Players typically reject the qualifying offer — last year, all 12 players rejected the offer from their former teams — and become free agents.

But here is where it gets tricky for the players. While they reject the deal hoping/knowing they can get more in free agency, doing so creates a tax for whatever team signs them. That is, in addition to paying the player, the new team also must forfeit a valuable draft pick.

Why the rule is terrible ...

The rule is terrible because it is not applied equally to all players. 

The compensation system is not a big deal for the top free agents because one draft pick is not going be a deciding factor when a team is going after a $150+ million player. It is also not a big deal to lower-level free agents, as teams won't offer them a qualifying offer out of fear the player will accept and be grossly overpaid.

It only affects a small group of second-level free agents who now have a tax added to their free-agency price tag — a tax that, at best, will reduce the amount teams are willing to offer, and, at worst, will scare teams away and lower demand.

Here is where Kazmir comes in ...

Kazmir would have almost certainly have been one of those second-level free agents. However, the compensation system only applies to players who were with the same team all season. By being traded, Kazmir cannot receive a qualifying offer, and the Astros cannot be compensated.

Kazmir just got his get-out-of-jail-free card.

Even if Kazmir decides to re-sign with the Astros this winter, this could still have a big impact. Instead of the Astros just bidding against themselves, Kazmir can still bring other teams into the mix to up the price now that there can't be a draft pick attached to his price tag.

For a 31-year old left-hander having the best year of his career, that extra freedom could mean millions.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: FIFA just spent $30M on a film about itself — and guess who plays Sepp Blatter

Major League Baseball players are well compensated for their talents. But when it comes to luxury real estate, even the top-paid players are better off avoiding the field in New York. 

During the recent MLB All-Stars Game, CityRealty took a look at how some of the highest-earning All Stars might fare in the New York real estate market — where the average apartment price recently hit a record $1.87 million— versus that of their teams' hometowns.

For example, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher and best-paid All-Star Zach Greinke's annual salary is enough to buy 26 houses in LA — or one penthouse in Manhattan's 50 United Nations Plaza.

Check out the full breakdown below. 

SEE ALSO: The 10 most expensive homes you can buy in New York City right now

DON'T FORGET: Follow Business Insider's lifestyle page on Facebook!

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here's what you get when you order 'Omaha Steaks' in the mail

No team has more money committed to the players on their current roster than the Dallas Cowboys, whose players collectively have contracts worth $680.8 million, according to Spotrac, more than $30 million more than any other team and nearly twice as much as the Oakland Raiders ($385.2 million).

Things looks a little different if we just consider guaranteed portions of contracts. The Cowboys come in at No. 5 in the NFL with $263.9 million in guaranteed money committed to players, 38.8% of the total. The Kansas City Chiefs lead the way in total guaranteed ($297.0 million) while the St. Louis Rams top the league in percent-guaranteed (46.7%). 

The New England Patriots have the least amount in guaranteed contracts at $145.1 million, just 35.2% of their total while the Pittsburgh Steelers have the lowest percentage of guaranteed contracts at 29.1%.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How billionaire Michael Jordan makes and spends his money

PGA Tour golfer Sang-Moon Bae is a two-time winner and has taken home $5.7 million in career earnings. But now Bae has been told by a court that he must return to Korea to serve a 2-year stint in the military according to the BBC.

In South Korea, every “able-bodied” male between the ages of 18 and 35 must serve in the military for two years. Bae recently turned 29.

Bae had his request for an extension on his overseas travel permit rejected in December. When the permit expired at the end of 2014, Bae did not return to Korea and was charged with “violating the country's military service regulations,” according to Reuters.

Bae had hoped to participate in next summer's Olympics in Rio. Olympic medalists are exempt from military service. Now, not only will Bae lose millions in two years away from the PGA Tour, he may also lose the chance to compete for a medal and exemption from the one thing that will keep him out of the games.

Bae told the media that he will “humbly accept” the court's ruling. 

“The court's ruling today reminded me of the fact I should put my duty as a South Korean citizen ahead of my golfing career,” Bae said.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: This mesmerizing video of Chinese students jumping rope in unison is going viral

Seattle Seahawks starting free safety Earl Thomas has yet to fully recover from shoulder surgery he had in late February and is expected to miss start of training camp, and possibly the early stages of the regular season as well, according to ESPN's Ed Werder:

Thomas suffered a separated shoulder and torn labrum during the Seahawks' win over the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship game. He opted to play through the injuries and delay his surgery until after the Super Bowl. The four-time Pro Bowler has documented his recovery on his instagram page.

He originally underwent surgery in late February:

 Afterward, he could be seen wearing a sling around his left arm:

 He also posted pictures of himself at a rehab clinic with his young daughter:

Thomas told Werder he can't say for certain whether or not he will be forced to miss regular season games, but he'll know more information soon after he takes his physical.

"I'm unsure about everything at this point," Thomas said. "I will find out more when I get back to Seattle on [July] 30th when I take my physical." 

If Thomas is forced to sit out the Seahawks regular season opener against the St. Louis Rams September 13, it would be the first game Thomas has ever had to miss a game. Since being drafted by the Seahawks in 2010, Thomas has played in all 90 games throughout his five-year career, including the playoffs.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Mark Cuban: I Will Never Let My Son Play Football

Under Armour continues to grow at a wild pace. Thursday the company reported a 29% growth in revenues over the same period last year, leading to a 7.3% jump in the company's stock price.

This incredible growth has CEO Kevin Plank excited, and in a conference call about the earnings on Thursday, he thanked three huge contributors who don't even work for the company.

The biggest growth categories for Under Armour recently have been in three areas: golf-related items, women's products and basketball shoes and apparel. Not incidently, these correlate with the subjects of Plank's praise: Jordan Spieth, Misty Copeland and Stephen Curry.

"Over the past year, three Under Armour athletes have transcended their sports and become known by just their first names, Stephen, Misty and Jordan. These three athletes have combined to teach us one incredibly valuable lesson that we need to think bigger," said Land.

One of Under Armour's recent initiatives has been in basketball apparel and especially shoes. Land said that Curry is driving this section of the business faster than expected.

"This brand heat is driving huge amounts of incremental traffic to our ecommerce platform across the globe with our basketball traffic up more than 300% year-over-year," said Land.

The basketball shoe business is dominated by Nike, with brands affiliated with Michael Jordan and LeBron James drawing massive revenues. But Under Armour is capitalizing on Curry's success in the NBA Finals with the Curry One shoe.

"The Curry One Shoe was a great success with our ecommerce site as we continue to gain share in key footwear categories with our wholesale partners," said Plank. Revenue for the footwear business increased 40%  compared to the same quarter last year, to $154 million.

Misty Copeland, who was recently named as the first black woman to be the principal ballerina at prestigious American Ballet Theatre, drove an increase in sales of woman's apparel.

"Our women’s business continues to grow strongly in key areas like caprice, shorts, sports bra and running footwear," said Land. Exact numbers were not provided.

The final athlete, Spieth, won his first two major championships at the Masters and US Open, while he came close to winning his third last week at the Open Championship in Scotland. Land put it this way in the call:

"In just a sport of golf in the last two years our revenues have more than doubled. We're seeing key category growth throughout the rest of the year — things like on our Web site — our playoff polos are a number one item at our Brand House and our ecommerce site. The business is basically up everywhere, where we have our key assets which is the one thing which led us the ability to find the right asset with Jordan, that we're leading the way out there it's been absolute killing home run for us too."

Just last year, Under Armour passed Adidas as the second-largest sportswear company in the world and the company has continued to grow globally. In the long run, it seems to be trying to leverage its three huge superstars into taking on the behemoth in the industry, Nike. 

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: It's official: Under Armour is on fire

Sports psychologist Dr. Jonathan Fader helps professional athletes overcome adversity using techniques that rely on various types of imagery. One method incorporates elements of the approach used by the ancient Samurai warrior.

Dr. Fader also uses the concept to motivate bankers and traders working in high-pressure environments where millions are at stake.

Produced by Graham Flanagan

Follow BI Video:On Facebook

Join the conversation about this story »