Former NBA prospect Janis Timma found dead; Russian authorities investigate links to ex-wife
Latvian basketball player Janis Timma, found dead by suicide, was allegedly trying to reconcile with ex-wife Anna Sedokova.
Follow Us
Latvian basketball player Janis Timma found dead by suicide, was allegedly trying to reconcile with ex-wife Anna Sedokova
Basketball players usually live a long and healthy life. In the off chance, some players facing health problems take proper medical guidance and get better. But death is always a touchy subject, especially when they are still in their playing age. Former Orlando Magic prospect Janis Timma is one such situation.
Authorities discovered the Latvian dead outside a Russian apartment earlier today. Preliminary investigations ruled the death as suicide. However, a phone was found beside the 32-year-old and authorities are trying to dive deeper into the device to continue their investigation.
They are looking into his ex-wife, Ukranian singer Anna Sedokova, who separated from the small forward earlier this year. Authorities believe Timma was looking to reconcile with his superstar wife. Conspiracy theories suggest Sedokova might have had a hand in either his death or his suicide.
Her first husband, Belarusian footballer Valyantsin Byalkevich, died after suffering an aneurysm. Even though they were separated long before his death, Anna Sedokova sued to gain the inheritance of his assets. At the time of his death, she was separated from her second husband.
Sedokova and Janis Timma did not have any children, but pictures of the Spanish 2nd division star along with her three children are on her social media accounts. The last picture of them together on her social media was more than a year ago when they visited Brooklyn, New York. This death is the second after the late great Kobe Bryant passed away at age 40.
Janis Timma played one NBA Summer League game
Janis Timma, like many basketball prospects, aspired to play in the NBA. The Memphis Grizzlies drafted him 60th overall in 2013. Then, in 2015, they traded his draft rights to the Orlando Magic. But as he was playing professionally in Europe, he kept his NBA debut on hold.
The grueling schedule of European basketball, along with the need to shift to the United States, was a risk Timma probably did not want to do. But ultimately in 2021 he joined the Magic’s Summer League squad to give the NBA one shot.
In his debut in the Las Vegas Summer League, he scored 11 points. But what caught the attention of basketball fans was his blonde hair and tattoos. He eventually could not find a contract worthy of his time in the NBA.
That led him back to Europe, where he continued to play until his death. He was one of the best prospects out of Latvia and routinely won individual awards in his home country. But he was usurped by another Latvian superstar, Kristaps Porzingis, who eventually became an NBA champion last season.
Stay Updated!
Joseph Varghese
(2167 Articles Published)