Kritik und Lob » as Whincups closest rival, the 27-year-old kno

Steven Adams just watched his financial future become a whole lot brighter.The fourth-year big man from New Zealand signed a four-year contract extension with the Oklahoma City Thunder reportedly worth $100 million. Thats approximately $139 million in New Zealand and $130 million in Australia.Adams emerged as a core player for the Thunder with a strong postseason performance in 2015-16, and the team will rely on him to play an even bigger role this season. The extension allows the Thunder to lock up Adams through the 2020-21 season and keeps him from hitting the open market as a restricted free agent next summer.This got us thinking about the top earners among Aussie and Kiwi athletes in American team sports. Heres the hierarchy, based on estimated earnings for the current season:Andrew Bogut, Dallas Mavericks, NBA$11 million US - $14.4 million AU - $15.4 million NZThe former No. 1 overall draft pick from Melbourne turns 32 later this month, and hes in the final year of a three-year, $36 million pact he originally signed with Golden State. Bogut is the NBAs all-time leader in scoring and rebounding among Australian players. He eclipsed the $100 million (US) mark in career earnings in 2015-16 and was traded to Dallas during the offseason.Matthew Dellavedova, Milwaukee Bucks, NBA$9.6 million US - $12.5 million AU - $13.4 million NZDelly signed a four-year, $38 million pact with Milwaukee after winning the NBA championship with Cleveland last season. If the early results are any indication, he is on his way to establishing career highs in minutes, points and assists this season. The fourth-year pro from Maryborough, Victoria, is the career scoring leader at Saint Marys College in California.Aron Baynes, Detroit Pistons, NBA$6.5 million US - $8.5 million AU - $9.1 million NZThe 6-foot-10 big man, who was born in Gisborne, New Zealand, but grew up in Cairns, Queensland, is in the second season of a three-year, $20 million deal with Detroit. He began his career with three seasons in San Antonio, where he and Australian guard Patty Mills helped the Spurs win the 2014 NBA championship.Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers, NBA$5.9 million US - $7.7 million AU - $8.2 million NZThe rookie out of LSU has yet to make his NBA debut because of a foot injury, but Simmons will earn nearly $6 million this season after being drafted No. 1 overall by Philadelphia. Simmons, who grew up in Newcastle, New South Wales, is recovering from surgery and is expected to miss a few more months of action before taking the court for the 76ers.Dante Exum, Utah Jazz, NBA$3.9 million US - $5.1 million AU - $5.4 million NZThe 6-foot-6 guard from Melbourne was the No. 5 overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft, and hes paid as such. Exum is back on the court for the Jazz this season after missing all of 2015-16 with a torn ACL. Utah recently exercised its team option to retain him next season for $5 million.Patty Mills, San Antonio Spurs, NBA$3.6 million US - $4.7 million AU - $5 million NZThe 6-foot, 185-pound guard from Canberra preceded Dellavedova at Saint Marys and was drafted in the second round by Portland in 2009. Mills joined the Spurs in 2011 and is now in the final season of a three-year, $13 million contract with San Antonio. Now playing in his eighth pro season, Mills trails only Bogut (11 seasons) and Luc Longley (10 seasons) in terms of NBA career longevity among Australians.Steven Adams, Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA$3.1 million U.S. - $4.1 million AU - $4.4 million NZUntil Adams new deal kicks in next season, he will have to scrape by on this salary, based on the team option the Thunder picked up in October 2015. Adams, who grew up in Rotorua and Wellington, will be only 28 when his recently signed extension expires in 2021, at which point an even more lucrative payday is possible.Brad Wing, New York Giants, NFL$2.6 million US - $3.4 million AU - $3.6 million NZThe third-year pro from Melbourne by way of LSU received a $2 million signing bonus from the Giants to go with a 2016 base salary of $600,000. Thats pretty good scratch for booting around the pigskin.Joe Ingles, Utah Jazz, NBA$2.2 million US - $2.9 million AU - $3.1 million NZThe 6-foot-8 forward from the Adelaide area is in his third season with the Jazz after two seasons with Barcelona and one with Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Euroleague. Ingles and his wife, Renae, welcomed twins in July, just prior to his joining the Boomers in Rio de Janeiro for the Olympics.Adam Gotsis, Denver Broncos, NFL$1.5 million US - $2 million AU - $2.1 million NZThe 6-foot-4, 287-pound defensive tackle from Melbourne by way of Georgia Tech has four tackles so far this season for the first-place Broncos. As a second-round draft pick, he received a signing bonus in excess of $1 million to go with his rookie base salary of $450,000.Lachlan Edwards, New York Jets, NFL$525,000 US - $685,000 AU - $730,000 NZThe rookie punter from Melbourne by way of Sam Houston State is another member of the new wave of Australian punters in the NFL and college football. If he remains on the Jets active roster all season, he will earn his entire $450,000 base salary to go along with a signing bonus of approximately $75,000.Liam Hendriks, Oakland Athletics, MLB$520,000 US - $680,000 AU - $730,000 NZThe 27-year-old, right-handed pitcher from Perth began the season as the only Aussie in the major leagues, but he was eventually joined by the three MLB players listed below. Hendriks has played six MLB seasons with Oakland, Toronto and Minnesota, and he posted a 3.76 ERA with 71 strikeouts and 14 walks in 64? innings this season.Paul Lasike, Chicago Bears, NFL$450,000 US - $590,000 AU - $630,000 NZThe 5-foot-11, 258-pound fullback from Auckland, New Zealand, made his NFL debut this season after spending 2015 on Chicagos practice squad. He recently returned to the practice squad -- sort of the NFL equivalent to flying standby -- after spending five weeks on the active roster. Even if he spends the remainder of the season on the practice squad, he will come close to earning his full base salary of $450,000.Peter Moylan, Kansas City Royals, MLB$390,000 US - $510,000 AU - $540,000 NZThe 10-year veteran from Attadale, Western Australia, spent around 140 days on the Royals roster this season, earning much of MLBs $507,500 minimum salary. Moylan posted a solid 3.43 ERA with 34 strikeouts and 16 walks in 50 games this year at age 37.Warwick Saupold, Detroit Tigers, MLB$190,000 US - $250,000 AU - $265,000 NZThe Perth native was on the Tigers active roster or disabled list for about 70 days this season, so this figure estimates a prorated portion of the MLB minimum salary -- not including what he earned during his time with Triple-A Toledo. The 26-year-old, right-handed pitcher opened his major league career with three consecutive scoreless appearances.James Beresford, Minnesota Twins, MLB$70,000 US - $90,000 AU - $100,000 NZThe infielder from Melbourne was called up to the majors on Sept. 6 and remained with the Twins for the rest of the season. He earned nearly one month of pay at the MLB minimum rate, plus more than four months at Triple-A Rochester. He made his MLB debut on Sept. 10 and recorded his first career hit with a single off Cleveland right-hander Shawn Armstrong.Several individual-sport athletes also cleared seven-figure earnings this year -- not including endorsements. Golf stars Lydia Ko ($2.5 million US) of New Zealand and Australians Jason Day ($8 million US) and Adam Scott ($6.5 million US) recorded handsome incomes this past season. In tennis, Nick Kyrgios ($1.8 million US) and Bernard Tomic ($1.2 million US) were the top Aussie earners.Sources: ESPN Roster Management System database, ESPN.com, sports-reference.com, spotrac.com Cheap Air Max 95 Outlet . PETERSBURG, Fla. Cheap Air Max 95 Free Shipping . Hey!" The lower tier of the School End of Queens Park Rangers Loftus Road was packed solid with a very festive-sounding Chelsea choral section in this particular part of South Africa Road London, W12. http://www.wholesaleairmax95.com/ . The Brazilian goalkeeper signed a loan deal with the Major League Soccer club on Friday as he looks to get playing time ahead of this summers World Cup in his home country. Air Max 95 Clearance . Anthony Calvillo, through 20 CFL seasons, was frequently invincible and largely stoic in the heat of competition. But underneath the professional exterior he was, and is, compellingly human. Air Max 95 Sale Outlet . Toronto has dropped games to Indiana and Miami since a five-game winning streak and closed out a three-game road trip at 1-2. Jamie Whincups closest Supercars rivals are taking vastly different approaches to reeling in the series leader at this weekends Sandown 500.Red Bull team-mate Shane Van Gisbergen is a picture of intensity and action together with French co-driver Alex Premat.But in the garage next door, theres a decidedly laid-back feel that two veterans hope will bear fruit.Steven Richards, 44, and Craig Lowndes, 42, have paired up in car No.888 and are taking a different path towards bridging the 198-point gap to Whincup.Richards, a four-time Bathurst 1000 winner including last year with Lowndes, said the mood was more mellow in the Team VortexWe debrief with all the Red Bull guys and weve got our own shed and talk more, he said.Its a little bit nicer than in the past (at Red Bull). Craig and I are pretty easy-going guys.Jamie and Shane are quite intense characters but (Craig and I) well go and have a cup of tea and cruise along.And its so far, so good for the New Zealander.Richards was quickest and second-quickest in two practice sessions for co-drivers on Friday.The car feels great, really good, he said.Nice and consistent, easy to drive and thats what we need.We need to be abble to tick the box lap after lap after lap and not make too many errors.ddddddddddddIn the No.97 Commodore, van Gisbergen is more focussed on the high stakes.After emerging through the seasons opening races as Whincups closest rival, the 27-year-old knows how important the endurance series is.If you break the year into three parts, the first part of the season was pretty good and this part really makes or breaks the championship, he said.Weve got three big weekends up for grabs. Well push for three good results and well be happy.Premat, who has competed both full-time and as a co-driver for Volvo in the Supercars tour before, said the vital signs were good at Triple Eight.Its pretty amazing what they do, he said.Everything is going right in the three weeks Ive been here.DJR Team Penske driver Fabian Coulthard was quickest in Fridays only practice session for full-time drivers ahead of Chaz Mostert and van Gisbergen.Tony DAlberto, in a DJR Team Penske Falcon of Scott Pye, topped the timing sheets in Fridays late session for co-drivers. ' ' '