October 31st, 2024 — American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
It was Halloween in Dallas, but inside the American Airlines Center, there were no tricks—only pressure. The Mavericks were two games into the season, both wins, and somehow, the media frenzy surrounding a no-name on a 10-day contract was growing by the hour.
Zoran Vranes wasn't just part of the story anymore.
He was becoming it.
And tonight, Kyrie Irving was watching.
He sat on the bench, hoodie up, knee brace visible beneath designer sweatpants. Crutches rested beside him, untouched. But his eyes? Locked in. Focused. He wasn't watching like a veteran on the shelf. He was studying.
Zoran didn't acknowledge him. Not out of disrespect—but because he couldn't afford to break focus. This was the Miami Heat. And Jimmy Butler was playing.
Spoelstra had his starters pressing early. Caleb Martin picked up full-court. Jimmy switched on anything that moved. Bam Adebayo anchored the paint like it was a fortress.
Zoran, starting again due to the Mavs' injury woes, didn't blink. He walked to the scorer's table during the first rotation, locked in, and nodded once to himself.
Then the system pinged.
SYSTEM"Focus Level: Stable. Passive Efficiency Multiplier: Active.""Tip: Maintain rhythm and minimize over-dribbling. Your current boosts will amplify clean decision-making."
He tapped his temple lightly. Message received.
First Half
Zoran didn't force anything.
He moved like water—filling gaps, curling off screens, punishing switches with sharp footwork. When Butler tried baiting him into iso play, Zoran deferred, swung the ball, and relocated to punish the closeout.
He wasn't here to outshine the stars. He was here to raise the floor.
Midway through the second quarter, he took Duncan Robinson off the dribble and finished with a left-handed scoop past Bam. It was clean. Surgical.
Then he picked off a lazy pass from Tyler Herro and took it coast to coast.
By halftime:10 points. 3 assists. 2 steals. 1 turnover. 4-of-5 shooting.
On the bench, Kyrie leaned toward Anthony Davis, who sat beside him in warmups, and whispered something. AD raised an eyebrow and nodded slowly.
Zoran didn't hear it.
But he felt it.
Third Quarter
Jimmy took over early—midrange pull-ups, bully-ball drives, and vocal leadership. He brought Miami back within five.
Then he started barking.
After Zoran slipped a pocket pass through a double and got an assist on a Christie three, Jimmy clapped. Loud.
"Aight rookie," Butler growled, walking past him on a dead ball. "Let's see if that little hot streak holds when someone's actually in your face."
Zoran didn't flinch. He just stared at him, then back at the ball.
Next possession, Jimmy pressed full court.
Zoran hit him with a snatch-back, paused, then accelerated left. He drew help, dropped it off to Powell for the easy finish.
Then on defense, he rotated early and took a charge—right in Butler's chest.
Nothing flashy.
Just basketball.
End of ThirdMavericks 81 – Heat 75
The crowd buzzed. The energy wasn't wild—it was focused. Appreciative.
Zoran sat on the bench, towel over his shoulders, breathing evenly. Kyrie tapped his arm.
"You play like you've seen this before," Kyrie said.
Zoran smirked. "Maybe I just learn fast."
Kyrie chuckled. "That ain't normal. You might be onto something."
Final Score:Mavericks 109 – Heat 99
Zoran Vranes' Box Score:Points: 19Assists: 6Rebounds: 4Steals: 3FG: 8/133PT: 3/5FT: 0/0Minutes: 30+/-: +10
Postgame
The locker room felt… different.
The players didn't treat Zoran like a fluke anymore. They dapped him up, nodded. Max Christie offered him his recovery shake like it was a rite of passage.
The system buzzed again.
SYSTEM"Impact Rating: Tier II – Bonus Achieved."Temporary Boost: "Read-and-React +1" (24 hours)Passive Perk Activated: "Floor General Lite (Trial)" – Enhanced off-ball movement from teammates during high-focus stretches.
Zoran just tucked the message away and got dressed.
He didn't speak to Kyrie again that night. But when he walked past him in the tunnel, Kyrie gave him one more nod.
And that was enough.