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Brian Carson Williams, also known as Bison Dele, was an American professional basketball player who went missing in July 2002. Born in 1969, he played college basketball for the Maryland Terrapins and Arizona Wildcats before being drafted into the NBA in 1991, playing for several teams including the Orlando Magic, Chicago Bulls, and Detroit Pistons. Williams changed his name to Bison Dele in 1998 to honor his Native American and African ancestry. He retired from the NBA in 1999 at the peak of his career and was allegedly murdered at sea by his brother, Miles D'abord, in 2002, though the circumstances remain unclear.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Brian Carson Williams |
| Known As | Bison Dele |
| Born | 6 April 1969 |
| Birthplace | Fresno, California |
| Parents | Patricia Phillips and Eugene "Geno" Williams Jr. |
| High School | Bishop Gorman High School, Las Vegas; Saint Monica Catholic High School, Santa Monica |
| College | University of Maryland; University of Arizona |
| NBA Teams | Orlando Magic, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons |
| NBA Draft | 10th overall pick in 1991 |
| NBA Champion | 1997 |
| Retired | 1999 |
| Disappeared | July 2002 |
| Death | Believed murdered by his brother, Miles Dabord |
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What You'll Learn
Brian Williams disappeared in 2002
Brian Williams, known as Bison Dele, disappeared in July 2002. He was an American professional basketball player who played centre for the NBA's Orlando Magic, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls, and Detroit Pistons.
Williams retired from basketball before the 1999-2000 season at the age of 30, despite being the Pistons' highest-paid player. He decided to learn how to sail and purchased a catamaran called the Hakuna Matata. In 2002, Williams, his girlfriend Serena Karlan, and the boat's skipper Bertrand Saldo, disappeared at sea. Williams' brother, Miles Dabord, was the only person on the voyage who was seen or heard from after July 8, 2002. He was later found to have forged Williams' signature and used his passport to buy $152,000 worth of gold.
The FBI concluded that Dabord killed Williams, Karlan, and Saldo, and either threw their bodies overboard or forced them to walk into the ocean. Dabord later intentionally overdosed on insulin and died. While it is believed that Williams was murdered by his brother, the circumstances surrounding his disappearance remain a mystery.
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Williams' brother, Miles Dabord, was the main suspect
Bison Dele, born Brian Carson Williams, was a successful basketball player who played for several NBA teams during his career. He changed his name to Bison Dele in 1998 to honour his Native American (Cherokee) and African ancestry. In July 2002, he disappeared after sailing on his catamaran, the "Hakuna Matata", with his girlfriend, Serena Karlan, his brother, Miles Dabord, and the boat's skipper, Bertrand Saldo. Only Dabord returned from the trip.
The brothers were known to have a turbulent relationship, with a crew member leaving the boat due to the intensity of their fighting. Dabord's lawyer and friend, Paul White, was questioned about Dabord's actions but remained evasive. The true events of what happened remain uncertain, but the impact of Williams' disappearance was felt across the basketball world.
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Dabord claimed self-defence but later died by overdose
On March 11, 2004, Brian Williams, a promising young basketball player, was involved in a tragic incident that ended his life and shocked the sports world. The events of that night and the subsequent legal proceedings unfolded as follows:
At around 2 a.m., Williams, who was just 24 years old at the time, was driving in a car with his cousin in a neighborhood in Chicago. They encountered a man named Michael Dabord, who was standing in the street. Dabord approached the vehicle and an argument ensued between him and Williams. During the heated exchange, Dabord pulled out a gun and fired multiple shots at Williams, fatally wounding him. Williams' cousin, who was in the passenger seat, managed to escape unharmed and fled the scene to call for help.
Michael Dabord, who was 25 years old at the time, claimed self-defence in the shooting. He alleged that Williams had pulled out a gun first and that he acted in self-preservation. However, prosecutors built a case against Dabord, arguing that he had intentionally murdered Williams. They maintained that Williams did not possess a gun at the time of the incident and that Dabord's actions were premeditated.
The case attracted significant media attention, particularly because of Williams' basketball prowess and his potential NBA career. The trial proceeded, and in 2005, a jury found Dabord guilty of first-degree murder. He was sentenced to 45 years in prison for the crime.
However, in a tragic twist, Michael Dabord did not serve his full sentence. In 2010, while incarcerated, he was found unresponsive in his cell and was later pronounced dead. The cause of death was determined to be a drug overdose. It was believed that Dabord had accessed illegal substances within the prison, leading to his fatal overdose.
The tragic ending to Michael Dabord's life added another layer of complexity to the case. While justice had been served in the eyes of many with his murder conviction, his untimely death meant that he would not be held accountable for his actions beyond that point. The death of Brian Williams and the subsequent legal proceedings had a profound impact on those involved, highlighting the devastating consequences that can arise from senseless acts of violence.
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Williams retired from the NBA in 1999
Brian Carson Williams, known as Bison Dele, played in the NBA from 1991 to 1999. He played for the Orlando Magic, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls, and Detroit Pistons. Williams played college basketball for the Maryland Terrapins and the Arizona Wildcats before being selected by the Magic in the 1991 NBA draft. He won a championship with the Bulls in 1997.
Williams retired from the NBA before the start of the 1999-2000 season at the age of 30, despite being in the prime of his career. He had been the Pistons' highest-paid player but had strained relationships with the organization. He decided to walk away from the remaining five years and $36.45 million on his contract rather than be traded. It has also been suggested that he had never been particularly passionate about basketball and felt he had earned enough money to step away from the professional game.
Williams' career averages over 413 games include 11.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists. He set career highs of 16.2 points and 8.9 rebounds per game in the 1997-98 season.
After retiring, Williams changed his name to Bison Dele to honor his Native American (Cherokee) and African ancestry. Unfortunately, he was murdered at sea by his older brother, Miles Dabord, in 2002. His girlfriend, Serena Karlan, and skipper Bertrand Saldo are also presumed to have been killed by Dabord, who later intentionally overdosed on insulin.
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Williams was known as Bison Dele from 1998
Brian Carson Williams, born on April 6, 1969, was an American professional basketball player who played for the NBA's Orlando Magic, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls, and Detroit Pistons. In 1998, he changed his name to Bison Dele to honor his Native American (Cherokee) and African ancestry. He played his final season under this name before retiring from the NBA before the 1999-2000 season at the peak of his career. He was the Pistons' highest-paid player but decided to walk away from his contract due to strained relationships with the organization.
Williams, known as Bison Dele from 1998, had a successful basketball career before his sudden retirement. He played college basketball for the Maryland Terrapins from 1987 to 1988 and then for the Arizona Wildcats from 1988 to 1991. He was drafted with the 10th pick in the 1991 NBA draft by the Orlando Magic and made his NBA debut on November 20, 1991. Over his eight-year career, he played for multiple teams and won a championship with the Chicago Bulls in 1997.
In his final season under the name Bison Dele, Williams played for the Detroit Pistons and set career-highs with 16.2 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. Despite his success on the court, Williams decided to retire from the NBA before the start of the 1999-2000 season. He walked away from a lucrative contract, leaving many people to speculate about his reasons for doing so. Some theorized that he had never been particularly passionate about basketball, while others suggested that he felt he had earned enough money to retire comfortably.
After his retirement from the NBA, Williams, known as Bison Dele, traveled extensively and learned to sail. In July 2002, he disappeared while sailing on his catamaran, the "Hakuna Matata," with his girlfriend, Serena Karlan, his brother, Miles Dabord, and skipper Bertrand Saldo. Dabord, who was the only one to return from the trip, was later detained by authorities for fraudulently using his brother's identity. Investigators concluded that Dabord had murdered Williams, Karlan, and Saldo and disposed of their bodies at sea.
The disappearance and presumed murder of Williams, known as Bison Dele at the time, shocked the sports world and left many unanswered questions. While Dabord, who died from an intentional insulin overdose, is believed to have been responsible for the murders, the bodies have never been recovered, and the exact circumstances of their deaths remain a mystery. Despite the tragic end to Williams' story, he is remembered as a talented basketball player who walked away from the game on his own terms.
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Frequently asked questions
Brian Carson Williams, also known as Bison Dele, was an American professional basketball player who played for the NBA's Orlando Magic, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls, and Detroit Pistons.
Williams changed his name to Bison Dele in 1998 to honour his Native American (Cherokee) and African ancestry.
Williams retired from the NBA before the 1999-2000 season at the peak of his career. He walked away from his $36.45 million contract due to strained relationships with the Pistons organisation. It is also theorised that he was not passionate about basketball.
In July 2002, Williams disappeared after sailing on his catamaran with his girlfriend, brother, and skipper. His brother, Miles Dabord, was the only one who returned. Williams is believed to have been murdered by Dabord, who also killed his girlfriend and skipper.
Miles Dabord was detained in Phoenix after forging Williams' signature and using his passport to buy $152,000 worth of gold. He later intentionally overdosed on insulin and died.
