Latvian basketball star Janis Timma, 32, was discovered in the stairway of a high-rise Moscow apartment complex on December 17, 2024. Local authorities said he plunged to his death and have preliminarily ruled his death as a suicide.
Timma, who was selected by the Memphis Grizzlies as the 60th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, had recently relocated to Moscow to participate in a 3×3 basketball league. His move to Russia sparked controversy due to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, leading to public criticism.
In October, Timma defended his decision to play in Russia, telling Latvian outlet LSM: “It’s something interesting to me. Thought why not give it a try?”
When faced with social media backlash, Timma responded firmly: “How useless you 99 per cent of my dear followers are. Leave my family alone at least. It’s my decision, and I don’t see anything wrong with it. I play basketball and live my life.”
The basketball player’s professional journey spanned multiple countries and leagues. Starting his career in Latvia with ASK Riga at age 15, Timma went on to play for several prominent European clubs, including Zenit Saint Petersburg, Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, Olympiacos Piraeus, and Darussafaka Istanbul. While drafted by the Grizzlies, his rights were later traded to the Orlando Magic, where he participated in the Summer League and briefly played for their G League affiliate, the Lakeland Magic.
His ex-wife, Ukrainian singer and actress Anna Sedokova, responded to the news through an emotional Instagram video, begging social media posters to keep their stories to themselves. “I have a child, he’s small, he doesn’t need to know any of this. I just have to save my child from this information.”
Timma and Sedokova’s relationship began in 2019, leading to their marriage in September 2020. The couple filed for divorce earlier in 2024, with the proceedings recently finalized. According to local media reports, a phone containing a message from Sedokova was found near Timma when his body was discovered.
Timma died on Sedokova’s birthday.
The Euroleague Basketball organization has announced that moments of silence will be observed before all EuroLeague Round 16 and EuroCup Round 12 games in memory of Timma.
