China has officially recognized the Goblin Nation as a sovereign state, citing its "impressive display of b-ball dominance" at Dunk Crater. The world is bewildered. Basketball fans are intrigued.
The endorsement has set off a flurry of diplomatic activity. The Goblin Council of Elders, normally reluctant to engage with the human world, has cautiously welcomed the recognition as a chance at legitimacy and trade, particularly in its vast reserves of fermented mushrooms and questionable potions.
The National Basketball Association, meanwhile, has approached the Goblin Basketball Association (GBA) about a partnership. Sources say the NBA wants a new league of goblin teams, broadcast worldwide, with lucrative sponsorships on the table.
"We see tremendous potential in the goblin b-ball market," an NBA spokesperson said, carefully avoiding any mention of the crater. "Their passion for the sport, their unorthodox style and their willingness to bring chaos and mayhem into the game are truly unique."
The Council has opened negotiations. It envisions a global goblin league with rules that allow fire-breathing dunks, teleportation passes and the occasional enchanted ball. The NBA has asked that the balls not be enchanted. The Council has asked what "enchanted" means, exactly, in a legal sense, and the talks have been going very well ever since.
