NBA star Janis Timma found dead after 'falling from Moscow apartment building' on ex-wife's birthday
17 December 2024, 10:21
NBA star Janis Timma has been found dead at the bottom of a Moscow apartment building on his ex-wife's birthday.
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The body of the 6ft 7in Lithuanian star was found at the bottom of the apartment block's stairwell in the residential building, local media reports.
The 32-year-old athlete had previously played for a host of top flight teams, including Zenit Saint Petersburg and Olympiacos over the course of his successful Euro League career.
Authorities say his initial cause of death has been ruled as 'suicide' after his body was found on Monday.
His death coincides with the birthday of his ex-wife, Ukrainian singer and actor Anna Sedokova.
It's also been reported that a phone found near his body contained a text from the singer.
Timma and Sedokova married in 2020, with the pair filing for divorce earlier this year.
Following the shock discovery, the devastated singer posted an emotional tribute to her ex-husband on Instagram on Tuesday.
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Just hours earlier the artist had posted videos of herself with baskets of flowers and bunches of heart-shaped balloons as she celebrated her birthday.
The small forward who played largely in Europe in recent years, was selected by the Memphis Grizzlies with the 60th overall pick in 2013 NBA draft.
The star had faced a recent wave of criticism following his decision to play professionally in Russia against the backdrop of the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
The move marked the end of the basketball star's international career, with Latvian athletes banned from participating in Russian sports events.
"It's something interesting to me," he told Latvian outlet LSM in October.
"[I] Thought why not give it a try?"
It comes as Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov of the Nuclear, Biological, Chemical Defence Forces (NBC), a high ranking Russian general, died on Tuesday after a hidden device exploded.
Ukraine has taken responsibility for the killing, which came one day after Volodymyr Zelenskyy's government charged Kirillov with chemical weapon use.
