Jānis Timma, a former Olympiacos basketball player, has tragically died at the age of 32. Reports from Moscow indicate that his body was discovered at the entrance of an apartment building. While there are widespread rumors that suggest the possibility of suicide, these claims have not yet been officially confirmed.
According to Russian news site news.ru, Timma’s phone was found near his body, with a screensaver reading "Call Anna," seemingly a reference to his ex-wife, Anna Sedokova, a prominent singer. The couple had officially parted ways on December 9.
About Jānis Timma
Timma, standing 2.01m (6 ft 7 in), was born in Latvia in 1992 and was primarily known for his role as a small forward. His professional basketball career began with DSN Rīga and Liepājas Lauvas in Latvia. He rose to prominence with Ventspils, where he achieved notable success, including winning the Baltic Basketball League title and receiving the Latvian League MVP award.
Throughout his career, Timma played for several distinguished teams, including VEF Rīga, Zenit St. Petersburg, Baskonia, Olympiacos, and Khimki Moscow. Although he was selected by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2013 NBA Draft, he never played in the NBA, though he briefly joined the Orlando Magic’s Summer League team in 2021.
Internationally, Timma was a significant figure for Latvia, competing in tournaments such as EuroBasket 2015 and 2017, as well as the 2016 Olympic Qualifying Tournament. Known for his distinctive appearance and tattoos, Timma most recently played for Monbus Obradoiro in Spain’s Liga ACB.
During his tenure with Olympiacos in the 2018-19 season, Timma was noted as one of David Blatt’s key signings. In the Greek league, he averaged 6.1 points and 2.4 rebounds, shooting 38% from three-point range in 14 minutes per game. In the EuroLeague, he averaged 3.4 points with a 40.4% shooting percentage from beyond the arc in 11 minutes per game.