I would say that all scenarios that are not too complex could be a basis for a short story, but also in principle, you could shorten and simplify any story to make a short story out of it!
So there is no clear distinction.
But among the options, the better candidates are:
a championship basketball game in which a new player is the star
a family mix-up over selecting a birthday present for Dad
the mysterious disappearance of a cake from the pantry
The other options are potentially too complex.
Despite how dark and cruel the world can be it’s still possible to meet kind and beautiful people if you yourself are following a good natured path.
Because it merges the fairy tale stories of the past with the cynicism, and wit of the current generation
Explanation:
The book 'The Princess Bride' is one of the best fairy tales and an example of the form being relevant even in a time when it is not.
The author has deftly used the trope of the form to his advantage and written a classic fairy tale with a setup of folk and traditional tales.
At the same time, the book is original enough and relevant enough for the current generation and holds up with updated humor and wit of this generation.