It's unclear what the exact figure is, but the city of Sombor in Serbia has a population of around 40-70,000 people depending on where one draws boundary lines. And yet from Sombor hails one of the greatest NBA players in history, and the latest to achieve basketball immortality, Nikola Jokic, the winner of the 2023 NBA Finals MVP after the Denver Nuggets finally took down the pesky Miami Heat, 4-1, following a 94-89 Game 5 win.

Even with the locals living in Sombor being almost 9,000 kilometers (around 5600 miles) away from Denver, Colorado, it was as if they were close to their hometown hero as he and the Nuggets hoisted up the Larry O'Brien Trophy at Ball Arena.

During ESPN's broadcast of the Nuggets' championship victory, they showed footage of the scenes in Sombor, Serbia as they erupted in celebration following Nikola Jokic's glorious achievement.

It's certainly been an incredible journey for Nikola Jokic. The Nuggets star, growing up, wasn't exactly highly-touted by many to be the next big thing in the NBA. He had humble beginnings, developing from a young kid who chugged bottles of cola soda like it was water into an unstoppable offensive force with an underrated penchant for impacting the game defensively.

Jokic's star and marketability is sure to skyrocket after such a dominant run in the 2023 NBA playoffs. But as the old adage goes, there is no place like home. In fact, according to Jokic's father, Branislav Jokic, the Nuggets star had already twice booked a ticket back home during the postseason, just in case he exits the playoffs early. Instead, he exits the playoffs as an NBA champion and as the playoff leader for points, rebounds, and assists, which is simply an incredible feat.

Just to add to how much Nikola Jokic loves his home, the Nuggets star expressed frustration when he received news that he would need to wait three more days until the championship parade, further delaying his Sombor homecoming.

Somber as that development makes the Nuggets star, a huge hero's welcome would certainly await him in Sombor as soon as he finishes all obligations with the team this season.