Bison Dele, the NBA Star Who Vanished Without a Trace

By Edcel Panganiban July 29, 2024 06:42

Photo by Getty

Bison Dele went on to attend the University of Arizona, earning All-Pac 10 First Team Honors as a junior and subsequently entering the 1991 NBA Draft, where he was chosen tenth overall by the Orlando Magic. He would play the next eight years with five different teams, moving on to the Denver Nuggets, followed by a trade that landed him at the Los Angeles Clippers. However, his career's magnum opus was when he won an NBA title in 1997 with the Chicago Bulls.

Despite his success on the court, Dele was complicated and introverted. He was intensely interested in music, art, and wanderlust but faced mental health challenges at certain points. Dele legally changed his name from Brian Williams in 1998 to reflect partial aspects of his Native American heritage and Cherokee and African bloodlines.

Dele announced his retirement at just 30 years old; he decided that the lack of passion for basketball came from other avenues to explore in life and travel.

The Secret of the South Pacific Vanishing

After finishing his NBA career, Dele began to travel and, for several years, roamed various exotic locales worldwide, seeking out fringe interests. In 2002, he bought a 55-foot catamaran named Hakuna Matata in Tahiti and headed to sea bound for Hawaii.

Dele was accompanied by his girlfriend, Serena Karlan, and the boat's general, Captain Bertrand Saldo. His brother Miles Dabord, born Kevin Williams, also went with them.

They began on July 6, and the latest boat set sail from Tahiti for Hawaii. For the next few days, Dele and his crew regularly checked in with their bank accounts and family contacts until there was a final satellite phone call from the voyage on July 8. Then, all communication stopped, and no sign of Dele, Karlan, or Saldo was to be found.

The Suspect and The Investigation

After the July 8 satellite phone call, only Miles Dabord spoke or was seen again. He later turned the Hakuna Matata over to Tahiti on July 20, though he was only one man aboard.

Shortly after that, law enforcement officials grew suspicious that Dabord was responsible for the heartless disappearances of Dele Karlan and Saldo. A police inquiry discovered that Dabord had signed Dele's name to open Post Office boxes in his title and spent $152,000 on gold by using Dele's passport as an ID.

The FBI and French departments investigated the case, where they theorized that Dele, Karlan & Saldo were likely murdered at sea by Dabord. Investigators said that Dabord had bought weights, which they suspected were used to anchor the bodies in the water.

Dabord was arrested in Phoenix, Arizona, on September 6 through a sting operation by Dele's family and friends. But before they could ask much more, Dabord slipped into a coma and died days later of an apparent suicide attempt.

Questions Remain, and Theories Persist

The disappearance and presumed deaths of Bison Dele, Serena Karlan, and Bertrand Saldo will continue to mystify the world even though police believe Miles Dabord killed his brother. The trio's bodies were never recovered, and many questions remain regarding what transpired aboard the fishing vessel in the South Pacific.

It's been a tough time for Dele's family and friends, all baffled by his cold-blooded, mysterious appearance. Dabord was unlikely able to conduct the alleged murders by himself, his mother Patricia Phillips casting doubt on claims.

The mysterious demise of Bison Dele and the intriguing talent he left behind have guaranteed that his tale endures among fans up to this day. His tragic and mysterious death still leaves a lasting mark on both the basketball world and every other aspect of society.