Bison Dele

Bison Dele, born Brian Williams, changed is first name to honor his native American heritage, and his last name in memory of an American slave on his mother's side. He was a green-eyed 6'11, 270 lbs. He used to ride his bike from Tucson to Denver with only a credit card in his pocket; he abandoned the $30 million remaining on his contract with the Detroit Pistons, because he didn't need any more money; he spent the first days of his retirement sleeping in the back of a pickup truck in the Australian Outback, backpacking and surfing and diving by day; he spent many months living on a water purification plant he'd invested in in Beirut; he backpacked around Europe, and his stature drew so many stares on his visits to museums there that he often felt as though he were an exhibit himself.

Dele disappeared at sea in July 2002 while sailing from Tahiti to Hawaii aboard his boat, the Hukuna Matata, along with his girlfriend and the ship's captain. It is widely suspected that the three were murdered by Dele's brother, Miles Dabord. Dabord, a giant like his brother at 6'8 260lbs, had always had a complicated relationship with Dele; Dabord lived forever in the shadow of his brother the millionaire NBA standout, Bison Dele's awesome health contrasting sharply with and even accentuating the sickliness of Dabord, who was severely asthmatic and usually broke.

Authorities swiftly launched a search for Miles Dabord, as he was already on record for once attempting to steal money from his brother by posing as him. Dabord, however, is unavailable for questioning, after having been found dead in Mexico in September 2002; the cause of death is indicated as an accidental insulin overdose. An acquaintance of Dabord's who had spoken with him shortly before his death, and shortly after the disappearance of the ship, has said that Dabord claimed that Dele's girlfriend fell to the deck when Dele and his brother got into a fight, and that she died when she hit her head; that Dele then killed the captain, because he was afraid he'd radio for help; that only when Dele came after him with a wrench, did he, Dabord, shoot him to death.

Despite the dubiousness of this claim, it's far from certain that Dabord murdered his brother. Bison Dele had always felt most comfortable at a distance from the world, from prying eyes, and even from his own life--a lover of travel, it is not altogether out of the question that he just picked up and disappeared, by choice. He had recently succeeded in convincing his girlfriend to abandon her prospering New York career for a life of travel and luxury. Perhaps he is moored at some remote isle right now, in some ultimate retirement from his life and the world.

Bison Dele's name, in translation of the last name from the Yoruban, means "Bison come home."