A beloved Mavs fan was slain in Dallas. His section is trying to keep his legacy alive
January 30, 2024
A beloved Mavs fan was slain in Dallas. His section is trying to keep his legacy alive
1 comment
*Jamie Landers and Kelli Smith of* The Dallas Morning News *write:*
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>Parsa Bastami can feel the absence as he strides to his usual spot in the American Airlines Center — section 109, row T, seat 9 — and takes in the pulsating energy; the music blaring overhead, the commotion on the court as the Dallas Mavericks warm up. > >“Anything new?” Dean Taylor, 34, asks, leaning into his side. > >“Not much,” Bastami, 34, replies. “They just keep saying the investigation is ongoing.” > >Four games ago, Bastami was on his way to the arena when he got a call that made him turn around. Three games ago, he felt so empty, he left after the first quarter. Two games ago, he left at halftime. At this game, Saturday’s game, Bastami vowed to spend the rest of the season showing up for Cody Ward, and for him, he made it to the end. > >“I know that he would want me to be here, even through the hard times,” Bastami said. > >Ward, 34, was found dead Jan. 11 from “homicidal violence” in his Far North Dallas home, police said, making him one of at least 17 people slain in Dallas in 2024. As of Monday, no one has been arrested in connection with the attack. > >Ward was a devoted Mavericks and Cowboys fan, Bastami said, and the pair had been Mavericks season ticket holders together for the past five years. Ward had a knack for calling out plays before they happened, but otherwise, he was the kind of fan who dedicated his time to making sure everyone around him was having just as much fun. > >Since his death, his section has committed the rest of the season to keeping his legacy alive. > >“He made everyone smile around us,” Bastami said. “Even the people that were cheering for the opposing teams, he would poke jokes at them. It was all fun and games. > >“Cody was the energy. I was just the plus one — every time.”
1 comment
*Jamie Landers and Kelli Smith of* The Dallas Morning News *write:*
​
>Parsa Bastami can feel the absence as he strides to his usual spot in the American Airlines Center — section 109, row T, seat 9 — and takes in the pulsating energy; the music blaring overhead, the commotion on the court as the Dallas Mavericks warm up.
>
>“Anything new?” Dean Taylor, 34, asks, leaning into his side.
>
>“Not much,” Bastami, 34, replies. “They just keep saying the investigation is ongoing.”
>
>Four games ago, Bastami was on his way to the arena when he got a call that made him turn around. Three games ago, he felt so empty, he left after the first quarter. Two games ago, he left at halftime. At this game, Saturday’s game, Bastami vowed to spend the rest of the season showing up for Cody Ward, and for him, he made it to the end.
>
>“I know that he would want me to be here, even through the hard times,” Bastami said.
>
>Ward, 34, was found dead Jan. 11 from “homicidal violence” in his Far North Dallas home, police said, making him one of at least 17 people slain in Dallas in 2024. As of Monday, no one has been arrested in connection with the attack.
>
>Ward was a devoted Mavericks and Cowboys fan, Bastami said, and the pair had been Mavericks season ticket holders together for the past five years. Ward had a knack for calling out plays before they happened, but otherwise, he was the kind of fan who dedicated his time to making sure everyone around him was having just as much fun.
>
>Since his death, his section has committed the rest of the season to keeping his legacy alive.
>
>“He made everyone smile around us,” Bastami said. “Even the people that were cheering for the opposing teams, he would poke jokes at them. It was all fun and games.
>
>“Cody was the energy. I was just the plus one — every time.”
​
[Read more.](https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2024/01/30/a-beloved-mavs-fan-was-slain-in-dallas-his-section-is-trying-to-keep-his-legacy-alive/)