- Body of the 6ft 7in small forward was found in an apartment block on Monday
- In October, Timma faced backlash after stating his intention to play in Russia
Latvian basketball player Janis Timma has been found dead following a reported fall from an apartment building in Moscow.
The 32-year-old, who played for the likes of Zenit Saint Petersburg and Olympiacos during a successful Euro League career, was found in the stairwell of a residential house, local reports have claimed.
Timma’s untimely death came on the birthday of his ex-wife, Ukrainian singer and actor Anna Sedokova. Indeed, it has been reported that a phone with a message from Sedokova was found next to Timma when his body was discovered on Monday.
The preliminary cause of death has been ruled as suicide.
Timma and Sedokova, married in 2020, had filed for divorce earlier this year. A devastated Sedokova posted an emotional message on Instagram following widespread reports of Timma’s death.
The 6ft 7in small forward was selected by the Memphis Grizzlies with the 60th overall pick in 2013 NBA draft. He was later traded to the Orlando Magic, leading to an apperance at the 2021 NBA Summer League.
Latvian basketball player Janis Timma has been found dead after a apparent fall from a Moscow apartment building
The 32-year-old’s untimely death came on the birthday of his ex-wife, Ukrainian singer and actor Anna Sedokova
Local reports have claimed that a phone with a message from Sedokova was found next to TImma’s body
Timma also represented Latvia at several junior and senior tournaments and was part of the team that won a bronze medal in the 2010 FIBA U18 European Championship. He played a total of 35 matches for his national team since his 2014 debut and scored 33 points.
More recently he faced backlash when he announced his intention to play professionally in Russia, despite the country’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. His decision signalled the end of his international career as Latvian athletes are banned from participating in Russian sports events.
‘It’s something interesting to me,’ he told Latvian outlet LSM in October. ‘[I] Thought why not give it a try?’