Paul Klee, sports editor

Answer: Denver East High School

Anyone else remember the urban myth that two alligators had been set loose in Wash Park’s south pond? Well, this wasn’t a myth: Nikola Jokic and his giant brothers used to play pickup ball on the outdoor courts at Wash Park. You could come for the 3-on-3 game, leave with ego bruises for life.

Nemanja and Strahinja Jokic weren’t taking it easy on young Nikola, either. It was a cage fight.

So why should the Nuggets host an NBA exhibition game at East High’s glorious gymnasium, home of Rudy Carey, the Angels, and a Colorado-record-tying 12 boys basketball state championships? 

While social media delivers the appearance that today’s superstar athletes are more accessible than ever, the opposite is true. Have you seen the ticket prices to attend a Nuggets or Avs game lately? A seat in the lower bowl at Thursday’s Avs opener was going for $224. A spot in the same section for the Nuggets’ opener vs. the Phoenix Suns can be had for a cool $163. Sheesh.

This city has priced out so many normal folks that more people are moving out than moving in.

Time to bridge the gap and bring action ball to the real ones who can’t afford Ball Arena.

And the real ones might remember another tall tale from the early days of the Jokic era in Denver. It had Joker, Emmanuel Mudiay and Gary Harris strolling into South High’s gymnasium for an impromptu scrimmage in front of 1,500 screaming high school kids. It was the middle of October 2015.

And if I remember a Saturday 10 years ago, those kids will never forget it.

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Vinny Benedetto, Nuggets beat writer

Answer: Belgrade

Nikola Jokic has told us all about the intensity of playing in Serbia. Now, he deserves the opportunity to show American fans the basketball culture that produced Denver’s never-shaken superstar.

Anyone who’s watched the Belgrade Derby — the fiery rivalry between Partizan and Red Star — can tell you the atmosphere is nothing like the standard NBA regular-season game. There’s no music playing as players advance the ball, and the pyrotechnics are not always reserved for the professionals. The fans provide the noise throughout. Flags wave constantly. There might be a flare or sparklers illuminating the stands.

It’s more like a college environment, but even the student sections at Duke or Kansas pale in comparison to the passion displayed by Serbian super fans.

The established basketball culture in the Serbian capital might actually serve as a turnoff for the NBA. This season’s European games will be held in Berlin and London. There are also games scheduled in Paris and Manchester in future seasons, as the NBA mulls creating a new league abroad. In the last few decades, the NBA’s foreign games have largely been played in Japan, Mexico, England and France, but the game is constantly growing. Giannis Antetokounmpo deserves a game in Athens. The same goes for Luka Doncic in Ljubljana and Jokic in Belgrade.

Whenever Jokic is asked about playing in a hostile environment, he’ll often remind the American reporter with some version of “I played in Serbia, brother.” Now, it’s time the rest of his teammates can say the same.