Professional Basketball Player Found Dead

On Monday, the body of Janis Timma, a Latvian professional basketball player who competed internationally and briefly played in the NBA G League, was discovered. Timma, who was 32 years old, had recently relocated to Moscow, where his body was found in the stairwell of a high-rise apartment building. Preliminary investigations suggest his death was a suicide, as reported by Russian media outlets.

The news of Timma’s passing has elicited an outpouring of grief on social media and within the sports community. Among those reacting to the tragedy was his ex-wife, Ukrainian singer and actress Anna Sedokova. On the day Timma’s body was discovered, Sedokova, who turned 42 that same day, addressed the situation in a heartfelt video. According to Russian media reports, a phone found near Timma’s body contained a message from Sedokova, though specific details remain unclear.

In her emotional video, Anna pleaded for privacy regarding Timma’s apparent suicide, particularly for the sake of her child. She stated, “I beg you very much,” as quoted by The Sun. “I’ve wondered my whole life how people who have something like this happen to them can still post stories, and now, I’m asking you very strongly – I have a child, he’s small, he doesn’t need to know any of this.”

She went on to say, “You have no idea what hell I have lived through over the last few years. I just have to save my child from this information. If you can, please keep it to yourself.”

Sedokova, who gained fame as a member of the Ukrainian pop group Nu Virgos starting in 2002, married Timma in 2020. However, the couple divorced by 2024. Although they had no children together, Sedokova has three children from previous relationships: two daughters and a son.

Timma’s basketball career was marked by his time with several prominent European teams, including Zenit Saint Petersburg and Khimki Moscow in Russia. A standout forward, he was known for his athleticism and scoring ability, representing Latvia in international competitions.

One of the highlights of his career was with Ventspils, where he earned the Finals MVP award and helped secure the Baltic Basketball League title in 2013. His success continued with VEF Rīga, where he won a league championship and was named MVP of the 2015 Latvian Basketball League All-Star Game.

Timma entered the NBA draft in 2013 and was selected 60th overall by the Memphis Grizzlies. His draft rights were later traded to the Orlando Magic in 2015. Over the years, he played for teams across Europe and the United States, including Monbus Obradoiro in Spain and Darüşşafaka in Turkey. In 2021, he pursued an NBA career by joining the Lakeland Magic, the G League affiliate of the Orlando Magic, though his time in the league was brief.

In recent years, Timma had turned his focus to 3×3 basketball, a fast-paced and increasingly popular variation of the sport.