Former NBA star found dead after 'falling from Moscow apartment building' after receiving backlash

A Latvian basketball star who was drafted to the NBA in 2013 has fallen to his death in Moscow.

Janis Timma was found dead in the foot of a stairwell in his apartment building on Monday 16 December, having apparently fallen. He was 32 years old.

The date coincided with the birthday of his ex-wife, Ukrainian singer and actor Anna Sedokova. A phone containing a message from Sedokova was reportedly found next to Timma's body. Russian police have initially presumed Timma's death to be suicide.

Sedokova posted in emotional tribute to the basketball player on instagram while pleading for privacy for her son. "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 said.

Timma was selected by the Memphis Grizzlies with the 60th overall pick a little over a decade ago, although he never featured in an NBA game for the Western Conference side.

The 6ft 7ins forward was a standout player in Europe, however, enjoying a long and successful career.

Timma was twice named the best player in the Latvian top division, where he also won two championships, as well as being a title winner in the Baltic League, where he was the Finals MVP in 2013.

In 2015, the Grizzlies traded Timma's draft rights to the Orlando Magic and he played for the Florida side during the 2021 Summer League, where he was effectively a 29-year-old rookie.

But he didn't play an NBA game for the Magic, either, and returned to Europe.

Timma's career included spells with Zenit St Petersburg and Olympiacos. He had caused controversy recently after he'd decided to return to play in Russia. In the midst of the Russia-Ukraine war, Latvian athletes are banned from playing Russia and as such Timma lost his place in the Latvian national team.

At the time of his death, he had most recently played for Monbus Obradoiro in Spain.