Bison Dele: The NBA Star Who Vanished Without a Trace
An NBA Star Goes Missing in the South Pacific
🏀 Bison Dele: The NBA Star Who Vanished Without a Trace 🌊
“He was a free spirit… someone who walked away from millions to find himself. But in the end, he was lost to the sea.”
— Friend of Bison Dele
🧒 Born to Rise — The Making of an NBA Star ✨
Before he was known as Bison Dele, the world knew him as Brian Carson Williams. Born on April 6, 1969, in Fresno, California, Brian had greatness in his blood. 🎷 His father, Eugene “Geno” Williams, was a member of the famed music group The Platters.
🎓 Brian was no ordinary athlete. Standing 6'11", with a blend of power, grace, and intelligence, he earned a spot playing college ball at:
University of Maryland
University of Arizona
He later entered the 1991 NBA Draft, selected 10th overall by the Orlando Magic. 🚀
Thus began the journey of a man who would climb to the peak of the basketball world — only to disappear into mystery.
📈 From Brian Williams to NBA Contender 🏆
Dele (then Williams) played for several NBA teams throughout the 1990s:
🟦 Orlando Magic
🟥 Denver Nuggets
🟨 Los Angeles Clippers
🟤 Chicago Bulls
🟠 Detroit Pistons
He reached his professional peak in 1997 with the Chicago Bulls, playing alongside legends like Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen during their historic NBA Championship run. 🐂🏀
🔥 His stats were solid:
Career average: 11.0 points, 6.2 rebounds
Known for clutch plays, rebounding, and versatility
That year, he earned a championship ring — something thousands of players never achieve. Yet despite his rising fame, Brian was deeply conflicted.
He later said:
“I love the game. But I’m not sure I love the business of it.”
🧘 The Name Change — Embracing Heritage 🌍
In 1998, at the height of his career, Brian Williams changed his name to Bison Dele.
Why?
To honor his Cherokee and African heritage, and in memory of his Native American ancestry. 🪶🌱
The name change symbolized a deeper transformation. He was growing restless in the NBA’s spotlight and the relentless grind of professional sports. 💼🏀💤
Then — in a move that stunned the basketball world — Dele did the unthinkable.
🚪The Million-Dollar Exit 💸
In 1999, at only 30 years old, Bison Dele retired from the NBA — while still in his prime and in the middle of a $36 million contract with the Detroit Pistons. 🛑
He walked away from:
Fame 📸
Fortune 💰
Fans 👏
To live a life that few understood but many envied — one of freedom.
He traveled the globe:
🎵 Played saxophone and violin
🐘 Went on safaris in Africa
🎨 Studied poetry and philosophy
🌊 Learned to sail the open sea
But freedom has its risks — and eventually, Dele would sail into the darkest chapter of his life.
🛥️ The Voyage That Ended in Silence 🌅
In July 2002, Dele set sail aboard his 55-foot catamaran “Hakuna Matata” in the South Pacific.
On board were:
🧑🦱 Bison Dele
👩 Serena Karlan (his girlfriend)
👨✈️ Bertrand Saldo (experienced captain)
👨 Miles Dabord (real name: Kevin Williams — Bison’s older brother)
The voyage started from Tahiti, headed for Hawaii. 🌴
But shortly after July 8, all communications ceased. No radio. No check-ins. No sightings.
Then, on July 20, only Miles Dabord returned — alone.
🚨 The Investigation Begins 🕵️♂️
When family and friends couldn't reach Dele or Serena, concerns grew.
Meanwhile, Dabord (Miles) behaved strangely:
Tried to forge Dele’s signature to buy $152,000 in gold
Used Dele’s passport and credit cards
Gave conflicting stories about the voyage
🌍 He docked the “Hakuna Matata” in Tahiti, but the boat had been repainted and renamed.
⚠️ Bloodstains were found on board.
⚠️ None of the other three passengers were seen again.
FBI and international authorities launched a manhunt for Dabord.
🧠 Brother vs. Brother — The Dele-Dabord Tragedy ⚔️
As the investigation deepened, authorities pieced together a chilling theory:
Bison and Miles had long-standing tensions
Onboard the boat, an argument erupted — possibly over money or control
Bison allegedly struck Miles
In retaliation or panic, Miles killed Bison
Serena and the captain may have witnessed the act and were then also killed to cover it up
💀 Three people.
🧃 No bodies.
🌊 All lost to the ocean.
💊A Deathbed Confession and a Final Mystery 💔
Before charges could be filed, Miles Dabord attempted suicide in a California hotel by overdosing on insulin.
He fell into a coma and died on September 27, 2002.
Before his death, he reportedly confessed to his mother about the deaths on the boat — but exact details were never confirmed publicly.
🧊 With his passing, the full truth likely died with him.
To this day:
🚫 No bodies have been recovered
🧭 No solid evidence of the killings has surfaced
🧊 The case remains officially unresolved
🧩 Unanswered Questions 🧠
The mystery of Bison Dele’s disappearance is riddled with haunting unknowns:
What exactly happened on the boat?
Did Miles act alone?
Why no distress call from Serena or the captain?
Were the bodies dumped at sea — or something else?
The South Pacific is vast and unforgiving. 🌊 Without hard evidence, the case will likely never reach the courtroom.
What remains is a trail of psychological tension, broken family bonds, and a haunting legacy of lost lives.
📺 The Public Reaction — From Shock to Silence 📣
Fans were stunned.
💬 “He walked away from millions… and now he’s just gone?”
💬 “How can someone like him vanish without a trace?”
For weeks, headlines blared:
“NBA Star Feared Dead at Sea”
“Brother May Hold the Key to Disappearance”
“Catamaran of Death”
But after Miles' death, the case faded from public attention.
Why?
Possibly because Bison Dele didn’t fit the mold:
He was private, not a spotlight-seeker
He rejected fame, instead of chasing it
He lived off-grid, by choice
So when he vanished… the world moved on. But those who knew him never did.
🕯️ The Legacy of Bison Dele 🌅
Dele’s story is tragic — but also poetic.
He:
Walked away from millions
Traveled the world
Sought spiritual depth, not material success
Found love in Serena
Reconnected with nature through sailing, solitude, and the sea
In many ways, his life was about freedom. But his end — if as reported — was one of betrayal, confinement, and loss.
Still, his memory endures:
🏀 Among NBA fans, he’s a symbol of authenticity over fame
🌍 Among adventurers, he represents the freedom of the open sea
💔 And among true crime followers, he’s a cold case icon lost to the waves
🧘 Reflections on Fame, Family, and Fragility 💭
Bison Dele wasn’t just another athlete. He was a philosopher in sneakers — a gentle giant with a violin and a passport.
His story reveals key truths:
🏀 Even stars can feel hollow in the spotlight
💰 Money doesn’t solve family tension
💔 The ones closest to us can become our greatest threat
🧊 And the ocean… can swallow all the answers
He once said:
“You have to be true to yourself, or you’ll never find peace.”
But peace, it seems, still eludes the world when it comes to Bison Dele.
🧊 Cold Case, Warm Memory 🕊️
More than 20 years later, no one has ever been charged with a crime.
There are no graves, no tombstones, no memorials.
Just this:
🛥️ A missing boat
🌊 A silent ocean
🧩 And a vanished champion
📌 Want to Help Keep His Memory Alive?
🧠 Share this story on social media
📥 Submit leads or theories to TheColdCases.com
📚 Learn how to become a digital detective with our Cold Case PDF
🎥 Watch upcoming YouTube videos on unsolved sports mysteries
🏀 Remembering Bison Dele
NBA Champion
Global Explorer
Romantic Soul
Lost to the sea — but never forgotten
🕯️ Rest in peace, Bison. Wherever the waves took you.
Cool story I’ve never heard about this. !!!