Bison Dele facts for kids
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
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| Born | April 6, 1969 Fresno, California, US |
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| Disappeared | July 7, 2002 (aged 33) Tahiti, French Polynesia |
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| Status | Missing for 22 years, 11 months and 17 days | |||||||||||||
| High school |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 260 lb (118 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| College |
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| NBA Draft | 1991 / Round: 1 / Pick: 10th overall | |||||||||||||
| Selected by the Orlando Magic | ||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 1991–1999 | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| 1991–1993 | Orlando Magic | |||||||||||||
| 1993–1995 | Denver Nuggets | |||||||||||||
| 1995–1996 | Los Angeles Clippers | |||||||||||||
| 1997 | Chicago Bulls | |||||||||||||
| 1997–1999 | Detroit Pistons | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||
| Points | 4,536 (11.0 ppg) | |||||||||||||
| Rebounds | 2,564 (6.2 rpg) | |||||||||||||
| Blocks | 355 (0.9 bpg) | |||||||||||||
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Medals
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Bison Dele (born Brian Carson Williams; April 6, 1969 – July 7, 2002) was an American professional basketball player. He played as a center in the NBA. Dele played for teams like the Orlando Magic, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls, and Detroit Pistons. He won an NBA championship with the Chicago Bulls in 1997. Sadly, he disappeared at sea in 2002 and is believed to have passed away.
Contents
Early Life and College Basketball
Bison Dele was born Brian Carson Williams on April 6, 1969, in Fresno, California. He was the second son of Patricia Phillips and singer Eugene "Geno" Williams Jr. Brian had both African-American and Cherokee heritage.
High School Years
In high school, he attended Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nevada. During his senior year, he played at Saint Monica Catholic High School in Santa Monica, California. His jersey number is now retired there. Brian was also a track and field athlete. He grew very tall in high school, which helped him become a great basketball player.
College Career
Brian started his college basketball career at the University of Maryland. He played there for one year. After that, he transferred to the University of Arizona. He played for two seasons at Arizona before joining the NBA.
Professional Basketball Career
After college, Brian Williams was chosen as the 10th pick in the first round of the 1991 NBA Draft. He was drafted by the Orlando Magic. He played for the Magic for two seasons.
Playing for Different Teams
After Orlando, Williams joined the Denver Nuggets for two seasons. In the 1993–94 season, he played 80 games, which was a career high for him. He then played one year for the Los Angeles Clippers. He got more playing time there and scored more points.
In the 1996–97 season, he didn't have a team at first. This was because of a contract disagreement. Later, he signed with the Chicago Bulls near the end of the season. He became an important backup player for the Bulls. They went on to win their fifth championship that year.
Williams finished his career playing two seasons with the Detroit Pistons. In the 1997–98 season, he had his best performance. He scored 16.2 points and grabbed 8.9 rebounds per game.
Changing His Name
In 1998, Brian Williams changed his name to Bison Dele. He did this to honor his Native American (Cherokee) and African family roots. He played his final NBA season under his new name.
Early Retirement
Bison Dele retired from the NBA suddenly in 1999. He was only 30 years old and still playing very well. He was the highest-paid player for the Pistons at the time. However, he decided to leave the game. Some people believe he was not very passionate about basketball. He felt he had earned enough money to explore other interests.
Personal Life and Disappearance
Bison Dele had many interests outside of basketball. He enjoyed playing musical instruments like the saxophone, violin, and trumpet. He loved to travel and explore new places. He even earned a pilot's license.
Adventures After Basketball
After retiring, Dele spent a lot of time traveling. He visited places like Lebanon, the Mediterranean, and the Australian outback. He also learned how to sail. He bought his own catamaran, which is a type of boat with two hulls.
Disappearance at Sea
On July 6, 2002, Dele, his girlfriend Serena Karlan, and a boat captain named Bertrand Saldo sailed from Tahiti. They were on Dele's catamaran, the Hukuna Matata. Dele's older brother, Miles Dabord, was also on the boat.
After July 8, 2002, no one heard from Dele, Karlan, or Saldo again. Dele and Karlan usually kept in touch with their families. On July 20, Dabord brought the boat back to Tahiti, but he was alone.
Police and authorities began to investigate. They found that Dabord had used Dele's passport to buy gold. The Hukuna Matata was later found off the coast of Tahiti. Its name had been removed, and some holes were patched up.
Miles Dabord passed away in a hospital in California on September 27, 2002. The investigation concluded that Bison Dele, Serena Karlan, and Bertrand Saldo likely disappeared at sea. Their bodies were never found.
See also
In Spanish: Bison Dele para niños
- List of people who disappeared at sea
