What happened to Bison Dele? Cause of death of late NBA player explored
Bison Dele, who was formerly known as Brian Williams for most of his life, was a former basketball player. He had a decent, eight-year career in the NBA after he was drafted tenth overall by the Orlando Magic in 1991.
Dele retired in 1999 at the tender age of 30, as he did not have the desire to continue playing. He also felt that he earned enough money for life despite having five more years in the $45 million contract he signed with the Detroit Pistons in 1997.
The 6' 11" big man enjoyed his retirement by traveling around the world. He purchased a catamaran boat, which he called the Hakuna Matata. He sailed the Pacific Ocean and ended up in Tahiti in July 2002. He was with his girlfriend Serena Karlan, boat captain Bertrand Saldo and his brother Mason Dabord.
On July 8, 2002, the family of Bison Dele and Serena Karlan lost contact with them. They found it odd, as the couple would regularly contact family members to update their whereabouts, as well as their banks, for monetary reasons.
Miles Dabord would return to Tahiti on July 20, but was alone. He was not with his brother or the two other passengers of the Hakuna Matata. Two months after the trio's disappearance, Phoenix police would arrest Dabord for forging his brother's signature.
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Dabord made a confession during the investigation into his brother's disappearance at sea. He revealed that he shot Dele in self defense, as he was afraid that his brother would kill him. He explained that he had an argument with Dele, with Karlan trying to defuse the situation.
However, before the police could find out if Dabord's confession was true, he committed suicide and died on Sept. 27, 2002. He took a bunch of insulin pills before slipping into a coma. It's presumed that Dabord murdered his brother for his money and two others for witnessing the crime.
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Why did Brian Williams change his name to Bison Dele?
Brian Williams legally changed his name to Bison Dele ahead of the 1998-1999 season, which would be his final year in the NBA. Dele's reason for changing his name was to honor his Native American (Cherokee) and African ancestries.
Bison is a popular name among Native Americans, and it represents freedom. The Cherokee people are know for living freely in the wild and being in harmony with nature.
Meanwhile, Dele is a Nigerian word that means come home. It's also a common first name in Nigeria and a common surname of the Yoruba people in West Africa.
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