John Brisker
John Brisker (June 15, 1947 – declared dead May 29, 1985) was an American professional basketball player who disappeared on April 11, 1978, after allegedly visiting Uganda. He played college basketball for the Toledo Rockets until he left the team during his senior season in 1968. Brisker began his professional career with the Pittsburgh Pipers / Condors of the American Basketball Association (ABA) where he was a two-time ABA All-Star. He played for the Seattle SuperSonics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1972 to 1975. Brisker finished his career with the Cherry Hill Rookies of the Eastern Basketball Association (EBA) in 1975.
 Brisker with the Toledo Rockets, c. 1967 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 15, 1947 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Disappeared | April 11, 1978 (aged 30) Uganda |
| Status | Declared dead May 29, 1985 (aged 37) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Hamtramck (Hamtramck, Michigan) |
| College | Toledo (1966–1968) |
| Playing career | 1969–1975 |
| Position | Forward / guard |
| Number | 23, 45, 40, 42 |
| Career history | |
| 1969–1972 | Pittsburgh Pipers/Condors |
| 1972–1975 | Seattle SuperSonics |
| 1975 | Cherry Hill Rookies |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Career ABA and NBA statistics | |
| Points | 6,847 (20.7 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 2,152 (6.5 rpg) |
| Assists | 787 (2.4 apg) |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Brisker allegedly travelled to Uganda in 1978 where he disappeared after last making contact with his girlfriend on April 11, 1978. He was declared dead on May 29, 1985, to settle his estate but his final movements are unknown and his death was doubted by the State Department.
Career
A 6′5″ forward/guard who played for the Toledo Rockets basketball team of the University of Toledo, Brisker played six seasons in the ABA and NBA as a member of the Pittsburgh Pipers (1969–1970), Pittsburgh Condors (1970–1972) and Seattle SuperSonics (1972–1975). He averaged 20.7 points per game over the course of his ABA/NBA career (26.1 points per game in the ABA, and 11.9 points per game in the NBA).
Brisker developed a reputation as one of the most volatile players in basketball. According to his Condors teammate Charlie Williams, "He was an excellent player, but say something wrong to the guy and you had this feeling he would reach into his bag, take out a gun and shoot you."[1] He was ejected so often for fighting that he was nicknamed "the heavyweight champion of the ABA." The Condors made much of Brisker's reputation as an enforcer; their media guide portrayed him wearing a pair of six-shooters.
In a 1971 game against the Denver Rockets, Brisker was ejected two minutes into the game for an elbow on the Rockets' Art Becker. Brisker charged back onto the court three times in order to go after Becker. A group of police officers threatened to arrest Brisker and finally persuaded him to return to the locker room.[2]
Disappearance
In March 1978, Brisker travelled to Uganda to launch an "import-export business".[3] The last confirmed communication from Brisker was on April 11, 1978, when he called his girlfriend in Seattle.[3]
It is unknown what happened to Brisker.[3] His former SuperSonics teammates have speculated that he was killed while fighting as a mercenary or shot in an argument with Ugandan royalty.[3] He was declared dead in absentia on May 29, 1985, by the medical examiner of King County for the purpose of settling his estate.[3][4] However, the State Department could not confirm that Brisker had travelled to Africa; a spokesperson stated that "essentially, we don’t consider him dead."[3]
Personal life
Brisker had a daughter.[5]
See also
Notes
- "Bar Chat". Stocks and News. June 6, 2003.
- Benjamin, Josh (30 September 2011). "The Most Legendary Personalities in ABA History". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
- Jenks, Jayson (May 11, 2017). "'Is John really dead?': The mysterious disappearance of John Brisker, the Sonics legend who never was". The Seattle Times. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
- Jamieson, Robert L. (2004-07-01). "Former Sonic forever shrouded in mystery". Seattlepi.com. Retrieved 2012-01-30.
- Raley, Dan (March 19, 2011). "Where Are They Now? Ex-Sonic Zaid Abdul-Aziz". Seattle P-I. Retrieved December 26, 2022.