Bison Dele Highlights vs. Timberwolves (22 Points & 12 Rebounds)
33March 1, 1998 - Bison Dele, then known as Brian Williams, scored 22 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in a 115-113 double overtime loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Following the 1999 season, Dele notified the Pistons of his desire to retire from the NBA despite being just 30 years old and with five years and $36.45 million remaining on his contract.
In the four months following his announcement, Dele spent his time jet-skiing and DJ'ing in Beirut. From there, he worked his way down to Australia by way of Indonesia, the Philippines, and New Zealand. In Perth, he bought a catamaran dubbed the Hakuna Matata and learned to sail, spending the next two years in the region. On July 7, 2002 Dele, his girlfriend Serena Karlan, brother Miles Dabord, and skipper Bertrand Saldo departed Tahiti en route to Hawaii. On July 16, the boat returned to Tahiti shores with only Dabord aboard. In the weeks and months following, as suspicion regarding his role in the disappearance and presumed death of all those on board reached a fever pitch, Dabord was found nude on a Mexican beach, having intentionally overdosed on insulin. Dabord survived, but slipped into a coma from which he'd never emerge.
On September 27, 2002, less than three months following his brother's disappearance, Dabord passed away. The true story behind Dele's disappearance remains unknown.
Dele, who changed his name in 1998 to honor his Cherokee and African ancestry, spent a significant portion of his life seeking adventure. In addition to his traveling excursions, Dele had a love for reading and was proficient at the saxophone, trumpet, and bass (his father, Eugene, was a member of The Platters). In the end, he appeared to have made the most of his life, living by his own words: "You can die from living or you can just die from dying," he told Sports Illustrated in 1998. "So many people try to play it safe."
Suggested reading - SI's The Mysterious Case of Bison Dele: //vault.si.com/vault/2002/09/30/the-mysterious-case-of-bison-dele-the-eccentric-thrill-seeking-former-nba-center-set-sail-in-the-south-pacific-with-his-girlfriend-and-his-brother-then-disappeared-what-happened