NBA turkeys, wasted money, senior dancers and more

Scoping the NBA ... three bullet points at a time.

Larry Brown is a turkey for not only trying to get as much money as he could from Jim Dolan, but also for being photographed coaching in overalls earlier in his career. Heinz Kluetmeier/SI

It's Thanksgiving week, so let's spotlight three of the NBA's biggest turkeys this year:

• Larry Brown -- In the first year of a five-year $50 million contract with the Knicks, Brown coached the team to its third worst record in the franchise's 60-year history, feuded with players and reportedly went behind GM Isiah Thomas' back by calling around the NBA and proposing trades. Owner James Dolan wisely decided he had enough and fired Brown. But what about the four years, $40 million he was owed? The Knicks felt Brown wasn't owed anything because he tried to play GM; Brown, of course, felt he was entitled to every last cent.

So why is Brown a turkey? Because in addition to the $40 million he felt he was owed, he also tried to squeeze another $12.5 million out of the Knicks for damages and lawyers fees. Does this man have any self-respect? It's bad enough that during the playoffs in his last year with the Pistons, he was trying to negotiate his landing spot (with Cleveland, which eventually wised up and passed on Brown), but the Knicks ordeal is a new low.

Luckily, NBA commissioner David Stern saw through Brown's charade and only awarded the coach $18.5 million, about a third of the $52.5 million he was seeking. But if the greed factor wasn't enough to make him a turkey, we uncovered a 1975 photo of him ... in overalls!

• David Stern -- While we applaud the commish for many things -- not giving Brown the $52.5 million to name one -- the whole ordeal with the new ball has not gone well. Whether it's Shaquille O'Neal, who said playing with the new ball is like "going to a gentlemen's club, seeing an exotic dancer and then going home and playing with a plastic blow-up doll." or LeBron James comparing it to "a basketball you buy for your kids at Christmas," the early feedback has not been good. What's even worse is that the new ball has overshadowed one of Stern's better achievements this year -- taking the whining and complaining from players to the refs out of the game.

• Bonzi Wells -- Six months ago, Wells thought he was sitting pretty. In his first season with the Kings, he averaged a respectable 14 points and 8 rebounds, then turned it up in the team's first-round loss to the Spurs, averaging 23 points and 12 rebounds per game.

Heading into free agency, Wells thought the big money was around the corner, which is why he turned down the Kings' initial offer, a reported five years and $38 million. Wells waited for that big money ... and waited and waited. But it never came.

To add insult to injury, the Kings withdrew their offer and signed John Salmons to a reported five-year, $25.5 million contract. By late September, the free agent money had dried up and all Wells could swing was a two-year, $5 million contract from the Rockets. The second year is a player option, so if Wells has a big year, he can test free agency again. However, in the Rockets' first 10 games, Wells has played just 31 minutes, averaging three points and four rebounds. Karma, anyone?

Out of Bounds

• On Monday, the Nets held auditions for their inaugural senior dance team. The team will be comprised of men and women who are at least 60 years old; those who audition must have "some dancing capability." The dancers will perform at at least six games this season and will have their ages on the backs of their uniforms.

• Allen Iverson will pay for the funeral of 22-year-old Kevin Johnson, who was shot three years ago for refusing to give the thieves his Iverson jersey to a group of teenagers. Johnson was waiting for a trolley when he was approached by the teens, who demanded he give them the jersey. When he refused, Johnson was shot in the back of the neck and paralyzed. He also needed a ventilator to keep him alive. Last week, the ventilator failed, and Johnson suffered irreparable brain damage. The family chose to take him off the ventilator and he died shortly thereafter. He'll be buried in an Iverson jersey.

• Fran Vázquez, the highly touted Spaniard who was selected 11th overall in the 2005 draft by the Magic but remained in Europe to improve his skills, signed a four-year contract with Winterthur FC Barcelona, which should delay his arrival to the NBA until the 2009-10 season. For those keeping track, the Magic passed up Hakim Warrick, Nate Robinson, Jarrett Jack and David Lee to pick Vázquez.