Bison Dele (April 6, 1969 – disappeared July 7, 2002), formerly known as Brian Williams (full given name Brian Carson Williams), was an American professional basketball player who finished his career as a center for the NBA's Detroit Pistons. He is believed to have been murdered at sea by his older brother in 2002. April 6 is the 96th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (97th in leap years). ... For the Stargate SG-1 episode, see 1969 (Stargate SG-1). ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... Sara Giauro shoots a three-point shot, FIBA Europe Cup for Women Finals 2005. ... The center is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. ... The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a basketball league. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ...

Basketball career

Dele, son of musical group The Platters' Tony Williams, was born in Fresno, California, as Brian Williams (and known as such until 1998). He started his collegiate basketball career at the University of Maryland, playing there for one year. He sat out the next season while transferring to the University of Arizona. After playing for two seasons at Arizona, he was drafted in the first round of the 1991 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic. He saw limited action during two seasons in Orlando. The Platters was a successful vocal group of the early rock and roll era. ... Tony Williams (April 5, 1928–August 14, 1992) was the lead singer for The Platters from 1953 to 1960. ... Nickname: Fresno, the All American City & Raisin Capital of the World Location in the state of California County Fresno  - Mayor Alan Autry Area    - City 271. ... College basketball most often refers to the American basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, or NCAA. // The game of basketball was invented by Dr. James Naismith in 1891. ... The University of Maryland, College Park (also known as UM, UMD, or UMCP) is a public university located in the city of College Park, in Prince Georges County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C., in the United States. ... The University of Arizona (UA or U of A) is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. ... 1991 NBA Draft - 26 June 1991 - New York City, New York Darrell Armstrong (PG), Fayetteville State Categories: | | ... The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. ...

After playing for Orlando, Williams joined the Denver Nuggets, for whom he played for two seasons. In 1993-94, he played a career-high 80 games and averaged 8.0 points per game. He subsequently played one year for the Los Angeles Clippers, earning increased playing time and averaging 15.8 points per game. Due to a contract dispute and reports that Williams' asking price was too high, he could not find a team at the beginning of the 1996-97 season. He then was signed by the Chicago Bulls 9 games before the end of the season and became in important backup player in the Bulls' run to their fifth championship. He finished his career with two seasons with the Detroit Pistons, where he set career highs of 16.2 points and 8.9 rebounds per game in 1997-98. In 1998 he decided to change his name to Bison Dele to honor his Native American ancestry and played his final season under that name. The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. ... The 1993-94 NBA season was the 48th season of the National Basketball Association. ... The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. ... The 1996-97 NBA season is the 51st season of the National Basketball Association. ... The Chicago Bulls are a professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois. ... The 1997-98 NBA season was the 52nd season of the National Basketball Association. ... Native Americans are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States, including parts of Alaska. ...

Dele, who was known for his eccentric behavior, suddenly retired from the NBA in an equally perplexing fashion. He retired before the start of the 2000 season at age 30, when he was still in the prime of his career. He had been the Pistons' highest-paid player, but had strained relationships with the organization and decided to walk away from the remaining five years and $36.45 million on his contract rather than be traded [1]. The 1999-2000 NBA season was the 54th season of the National Basketball Association. ...

Disappearance in the South Pacific

In July 2002, Dele and his girlfriend, Serena Karlan, sailed on the South Pacific Ocean along with skipper Bertrand Saldo on Dele's catamaran, the Hakuna Matata. Dele's brother, Miles Dabord (born Kevin Williams), was the only person involved in the voyage who was seen or heard from after July 8, when the party was in Tahiti. Dele and Karlan had previously kept regular contact with their banks and family members. On July 20, Dabord was by himself when he brought the boat into Tahiti. [2] It has been suggested that Catamaran History be merged into this article or section. ... Hakuna matata is a Swahili phrase that is literally translated as There are no worries here. It is commonly translated as no worries. Timon and Pumba star off by singing this song when they find Simba. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

On September 5, police used a sting operation organized by Dele's family and friends to detain Dabord in Phoenix, Arizona. Dabord had forged his brother's signature in order to buy $152,000 worth of gold under his brother's name. He had used Dele's passport as identification. [3] Mexican police later found that Dabord had been staying at a hotel in Tijuana, Mexico. Two days before, the Hakuna Matata, which had been registered in Tahiti under another name, was found off the coast of Tahiti with its name plate removed and some possible bullet holes patched. About the same time, Dabord phoned Patricia Phillips, the mother of Dabord and Dele, telling her that he would never hurt his brother and that he could not survive in prison. [4] In law enforcement a sting operation is an operation designed to catch a person committing a crime, by means of deception. ... Nickname: Valley of the Sun Location in Maricopa County and the state of Arizona Coordinates: Country United States State Arizona Counties Maricopa Incorporated February 25, 1881  - Mayor Phil Gordon (D) Area    - City  475. ... Tijuana (Spanish [tixwana], English usually [ËŒtiːəˈwÉ‘nÉ™]), is the largest city in the Mexican state of Baja California and the seat of the municipality of Tijuana. ...

The FBI, which did not usually handle missing-persons cases, became involved in the investigation regarding Dele along with the French authorities and concluded that Dele, Karlan and Saldo were probably killed, and then thrown overboard, by Dabord. Given that the bodies were likely dumped in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, it would be highly unlikely that the three would ever be found. [5] The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a Federal police force which is the principal investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). ...

Dabord, the only major source of information regarding the case, intentionally overdosed on insulin and slipped into a coma. On September 27, 2002, he died in a California hospital. After Dabord's suicide, officials did not expect to find much more regarding the case. A memorial service was then held for both Dabord and Dele.

Dabord and Dele were frequently at odds with each other. After Dabord's death, his lawyer and life-long best friend, Paul White, was questioned regarding his client but gave little information about what happened. Dabord had said that he knew for sure that Dele and Karlan were in French Polynesia, but not much more other than that he was trying to help Dele. [6]

External links

• Bison Dele career statistics
• Rocky Mountain News coverage of Dele's disappearance
• ESPN: Former Piston Bison Dele reported to be missing at sea
• CBS News: Cops believe ex-NBA player was slain
• ESPN: Paradise Lost