Mavs Foundation donates its 25th basketball court in North Texas, dedicating it to Tyler Underriner, a former Mavs’ ticket sales manager who passed away in June
FORT WORTH – The life of Dallas Mavericks’ employee, Tyler Underriner, 35, was evolving at a rapid pace.
In March 2018, Tyler and his wife, Ashley, celebrated the first birthday of their son, Jack Andrew.
“The night before Tyler died, he told me it was the happiest he’d ever been,” Ashley said. “Tyler so enjoyed everyone else’s children, so it was a dream fulfilled to have a child of his own. Jack Andrew was a miracle child.”
The family of three anticipated a summer of memories together and the celebration continued at work, as Underriner soared to new career heights with the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavs promoted him to season ticket sales manager after he generated the most total revenue at the end of last season.
Then tragedy struck.
On June 14, 2018, Underriner passed away after suffering a seizure. Ashley said everything was normal that day. She sat in the living room with his mother and they talked and watched Jack Andrew play. Her husband left to take a bath and during a 20-minute window the seizure took place, ultimately taking his life and slicing a gaping hole into the lives of so many he touched.
“I love talking about Tyler, hearing his name, seeing his picture and sharing our story,” Ashley said. “It’s not enough to just say that he is no longer here. It’s important for people to understand what happened because it serves as a reminder that none of us are guaranteed tomorrow. Life can change in an instant, without any warning. Tyler made the very most of his short life here and his outlook and approach to life is an example for us all.”
This example is the exact reason the Mavs Foundation, a private foundation arm of the Dallas Mavericks, decided to dedicate its newest basketball court in memory of Tyler Underriner. The court unveiling took place Friday afternoon (Oct. 19) at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County, Nicholas & Louella Martin Branch, in Fort Worth. The Dallas Mavericks provided a bus for employees to travel to the event and support the Underriner family, and Dallas Mavericks DJ Poizon Ivy was on hand, along with many sponsors and executives in the community and the children with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tarrant County.
The event was a joint partnership with Legacy Exploration, PlainsCapital Bank, Pro Players Foundation, and Sprite/Coca-Cola. The Court Dedication was followed by a group photo on the court, a net cutting by Ashley and Jack Andrew Underriner, and the Mavs Basketball Academy hosted a mini-basketball clinic for 100 kids at the Boys & Girls Club.
Cynt Marshall, CEO of the Dallas Mavericks, spoke on behalf of the Mavs Foundation. She introduced Tyler’s parents, his wife, sister and friends along with all the colleagues in attendance. Most importantly, she had a special message for the children in attendance.
“This isn’t just any basketball court,” she told them. “It’s extra special because it’s named after Tyler, someone who meant a whole lot at the Dallas Mavs.”
Later in the ceremony, Marshall shared these remarks with the audience.
“It’s a really special day with the Dallas Mavericks because we are doing this, we are dedicating this court in memory of someone who meant a lot to us. He is in heaven right now, but his name is Tyler Underriner. One day we will see him again, but until then, we want to acknowledge and remember his family. We love you,” she told them. “Tyler loved kids, so to be able and bring all of his worlds together is something very special to us. We miss him dearly and there are no words to describe the heartache and pain his family feels every single day. We all take comfort in the fact that one day we will see him again.”
Ashley said the Mavs Foundation Court Dedication was a step towards healing and she knows Tyler would have been thrilled to see his son running on the basketball court, surrounded by his Mavs colleagues, and family, the children and so many in the community who love to serve and make a difference with youth and young people.
“People have no idea just how much the Mavericks helped our family,” she said. “I know there is a purpose for all of this and one day I might understand. The main thing is I want our son to one day understand just how many people loved and cared for him. Now we have a place we can come and visit the kids and see Tyler’s name on the wall outside the basketball gym. My son will see firsthand the impact his father made on this world and there are no words to explain how much this dedication means to us.”
Tyler loved sports, Ashley said. So, the Dallas Mavericks’ decision to invite the family to the Mavs’ home opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves is something they’re all anticipating, she said, noting that basketball brought her husband great joy and she anticipates sharing in that same excitement with her family Saturday night.
“It’s been hard the last four months,” she said. “The court dedication and then the game gives us something to anticipate and look forward to, even for a few hours. Grief is hard and it’s a journey, but it’s small moments like this that provide a step towards healing. Just to hear Tyler’s name and remember that his life mattered, that people cared…those are the small things that help people like us, who are heartbroken, going through trauma and need healing. Just to be able to smile and laugh, even for a few hours, in life changing for us.”
And the new basketball court dedicated in her husband’s memory will be life-changing for many children at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Tarrant County.
It’s a place many children will seek refuge and healing, in order to escape the cycle of poverty, unemployment, drugs, and violence often seen in their neighborhoods. Every day is a step closer, and many of the youth will go on to graduate high school with a plan for the future. The Club offers programs to specifically address this cycle in the lives of their members.
Friday’s court unveiling marked the 25th basketball court donated by the Mavs Foundation. Over the last 22 years, the foundation has pumped $5 million dollars into the North Texas community, targeting children, women and families across the region. These basketball courts are important to the Mavs Foundation, as studies show that children who play sports develop key leadership skills, confidence and better relationships with peers. The Mavs Foundation has also built 16 Reading & Learning Centers to expand reading and education programs, as well as Computer Labs to assist teens and adults with job-skill training and other valuable tools. You can learn more at MavsFoundation.com.
Tonight, the Dallas Mavericks will pause and remember the life of Tyler Underriner before the game between the Mavs and Minnesota Timberwolves. The Underriner family will be in attendance to jumpstart the new basketball season, surrounded by the very fans Tyler loved to serve and sell tickets to each basketball season.
“We will never forget this,” Ashley said, her eyes filled with tears as she recalls the last the four months. “Mark Cuban is a very good man. The Mavericks are incredible people. Cynt Marshall is the most loving person you will ever meet. Then all the people with the Mavs Foundation…there are no words for all of them. I know Tyler is behind all of this. He unknowingly left this world filled with people who would step in and greatly change and impact our lives forever.”
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