What was Brian Williams’ net worth at the time of his death? A closer look at his NBA earnings and more
Bison Dele, also known as Brian Williams, was a former NBA center who won a championship ring with Michael Jordan in his lone season with the Chicago Bulls in 1996-97. He had eight NBA seasons playing for the Orlando Magic, Denver Nuggets, LA Clippers, and Detroit Pistons, before retiring at 30 ahead of the 1999-2000 season.
Dele was born on April 6, 1969, and made an unconventional decision to retire at the prime of his basketball career despite being the highest-paid player for the Detroit Pistons.
His net worth at the time of his disappearance on July 7, 2002, was $30 million and he could have added another $6.4 million if he kept playing for the Pistons.
His lavish lifestyle included purchasing luxury cars and properties. Dele once bought his mother a $350,000 mansion and his father a $15,000 Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
He changed his name from Brian Williams to honor the Native American (Cherokee) and African ancestries. His first name 'Bison' is popular with the Native Americans as it means 'freedom'.
As a teammate of Michael Jordan, Brian Williams played nine games in the regular season, averaging 7.0 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 15 minutes of playing time. He also had his moments in the playoffs, playing 19 games in the 1997 Bulls' championship run and contributing 6.1 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.0 steals while backing up starting center Luc Longley.
His most productive NBA season was in 1997-98 when he averaged 16.2 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 78 games. The following year, he helped the Pistons make the first round of the NBA playoffs along with Grant Hill, Jerry Stackhouse, Lindsey Hunter, Joe Dumars, and Christian Laettner before getting eliminated by the Atlanta Hawks in five games.
The disappearance of Brian Williams in 2002
In July 2002, Bison Dele, along with his girlfriend Serena Karlan and Bertrand Saldo, was on a sailing voyage from Tahiti. The last communication from them was on July 8, 2002. Dele's brother, Miles Dabord, was the only person on the voyage who was seen after this date.
There were reports that Dabord returned the boat to Tahiti alone on July 20. Later, authorities discovered that he also forged Dele's signature and made purchases under his brother's name.
Dabord was arrested in September 2002 but overdosed himself on insulin and slipped into a coma, causing his death on September 27. He initially said that he and Brian Williams had a fight that resulted in accidental deaths. However, forensic evidence contradicted his story.
The French authorities along with the FBI suspected Dabord was responsible for murdering Dele, Karlan, and Saldo. They speculated that Dabord planned the murder. The case has remained an unsolved mystery.