In an unexpected tragedy rocking the NBA world, former Grizzlies player, Janis Timma has passed away. He was 32. According to local reports, Timma was found dead in his apartment in Moscow. He reportedly committed suicide but details are currently obscure. The news has hit home for the O’Neal family who are deeply affected by the tragedy. Shaquille O’Neal’s sons were among the first in the NBA community to react to Timma’s loss with grief.

Shaq’s sons, Shareef and Shaqir posted heartfelt tributes to Timma on their respective Instagram Stories. They reshared the post informing his passing with a picture of Timma in the Orlando Magic jersey. Shaqir didn’t mention anything while Shareef added an “RIP” with a heart emoji.

Latvian-born Janis Timma spent most of his career overseas. The 6’7″ forward had declared for the 2013 NBA draft after a couple of seasons in Europe. He was the last pick, 60th overall, by the Memphis Grizzlies. Timma never played in the regular season though.

In 2015, Memphis traded his draft rights to the Orlando Magic. He’d have pre-season appearances in Orlando at a time when Shaq’s kids spent a lot of time there with their dad right after retiring from the NBA. It’s probably how Shareef and Shaqir are familiar with Timma but it’s unclear if they ever met.

Shaquille O’Neal had retired in 2011 and was based in Orlando and Las Vegas, along with TNT duties in Atlanta. His kids split time between his ex-wife, Shaunie in Los Angeles and Miami, and wherever he is. Going by his Instagram posts, Timma spent a lot of time in Miami, where Shareef is now based through his work at Reebok.

Timma became an Internet favorite in Shaq’s favorite city, Las Vegas, when he part of the Magic’s Summer League team in 2021. (Going by social media posts, the O’Neal boys were riding out the last wave of the pandemic with their dad in Vegas.) 29-year-old Timma’s striking platinum hair and his tattoos had become an Internet meme but he mostly went along with it.

Timma wasn’t playing in the NBA again. But he hadn’t stopped retired from hoops.

Janis Timma’s tumultuous life

Janis Timma was still an active professional athlete. He had signed as recently as 2024 with the Spanish team, Obradoiro CAB. He was reportedly also competing in a Russian basketball tournament last month.

Timma was married to Anna Sedokova, the Ukrainian starlet, until recently. They had been on and off for a while when Sedokova returned to Russia and Timma stayed behind in the US. Sedokova did appear in Timma’s Instagram, including in July when they were in Miami. Their divorce was reportedly finalized around late November. Anna has three children with her exes, none with Timma.

As per reports, Timma was found dead in a Moscow apartment. Some reports claim it was a hotel room. His death is still under investigation and details aren’t confirmed. He was allegedly trying to get in touch with Sedokova before his demise.

Celtics’ center, Kristaps Porzingis was once Timma’s teammate. The news apparently struck hard for him and he posted a cryptic but emotional message.