Sorry to get Otago Nuggets fans’ hopes up — no, he will be returning to Dunedin, or not yet at least.
The star basketballer, who etched his name into Otago sporting immortality when he led the Nuggets to a championship two years ago, will pursue his professional career in Japan.
After the former Breakers and Kings centre completes his NBL commitments with the Franklin Bulls, he will head to the Japanese B-League to play for the Okayama Tryhoop.
Timmins, 27, has had a soft spot for Japan since a spell in the country while his father, former Highlanders and Otago lock Brendon, coached Mitsubishi and Toyota in 2008-10.
"We lived there as a family when I was younger and I really love the place," he said.
"I still speak a good amount of the language, too. So all things considered, I’m pumped I got this gig.
"I could do another year of trying to find my way into a rotation somewhere in the [Australian] NBL.
"If that opportunity presents itself down the line, I’d like to give that another crack.
"But this year, I just want to play, and I’m lucky enough to find an opportunity in a country I really like. I’m excited.
Timmins’ partner, Raeana, who went to Japan herself on a scholarship as a schoolgirl, will stay in Auckland for now as she has work commitments.
He will still have some familiar faces around him. Wellington Saints forward Taane Samuel is also joining the Okayama team, and both Tall Blacks forward Dan Fotu and former Nuggets import Tray Boyd are in the league.
The Tryhoop are in the third division but Timmins is eager to lift them up the ranks and stay in Japan for a decent spell.
He has had to be an exceptionally patient man in recent seasons as his playing opportunities in the Australian league almost completely dried up.
After a year as a development player with the Breakers, he was upgraded to a full contract for his second season but got limited court time behind Rob Loe and Dererk Pardon.
A subsequent shift to the Sydney Kings shaped to be exciting but the reality was a situation — new coach not going deep into the rotation — that led to Timmins warming the bench.
"It’s been really tough, to be honest.
"You try and take as much personal responsibility as you can.
"So I tried to learn about what I could have done more.
"But if you’re a competitor, you want to be out there playing. It’s frustrating to be sitting on the bench night in and night out."
More time on court in Japan will also help Timmins get back in the regular reckoning for Tall Blacks selection.
Timmins was back in Dunedin at the weekend and contributing 20 points, 10 rebounds and four assists in the Bulls’ 99-83 win over the Nuggets.
Playing his old team while looking up at a championship banner to which he contributed so much would never not be weird, he said.
"It is strange, for sure. That’s a special team to me.
"But the approach I take is that I’m even more competitive because I don’t want to lose to them, ha ha.
"The Edgar Centre is a special place for me. I played intermediate basketball there, high school basketball, Otago rep stuff, and obviously the awesome two years I played with the Nuggets after coming back from
college.
"I’ve got nothing but good memories in that gym and being able to play in front of my family and those fans."
