Turiaf Visits Team Doctors in L.A.

Moving a step closer to joining the Lakers, Ronny Turiaf was tested by team doctors Thursday and will be put through additional tests today.

The 6-foot-10 second-round draft pick from Gonzaga, thought to be sidelined for at least a year after undergoing open-heart surgery in July, could soon be practicing with the team if he passes a physical. But first he would have to be signed, and the Lakers would have to waive another player to clear a roster spot.

“I will come back at some point, and when I come back that will mean that I feel strong enough to play at the NBA level because this is not a joke,” Turiaf said Thursday at the Lakers’ practice site in El Segundo. “This is not just playing Saturday at the park. You have to be strong and you have to be in shape.”

Turiaf, 22, vowed to return after surgery to repair an enlarged aortic root. Cleared by the doctor who performed the procedure at Stanford University Medical Center, he has been scrimmaging with former teammates at Gonzaga for about six weeks.

“I’m not surprised at all,” he told reporters. “I told you guys that I would be back at some point playing basketball.

“I’m feeling great. I’m alive, first of all, so I’m feeling good. I can work out, I can do everything that I want, so I’m feeling like a new man.”

General Manager Mitch Kupchak, who said this week that it was “not that farfetched” to believe that Turiaf would play for the Lakers this season, said that passing a physical would be only the first step for the young forward.

“After that, it’s a matter of conditioning, skill level and [evaluating] our roster,” said Kupchak, who indicated earlier that Turiaf’s energy and attention to detail had endeared him to the Lakers during summer league play.

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The Lakers were fined $25,000 for comments made by Coach Phil Jackson regarding forward Chris Bosh of the Toronto Raptors, the NBA determining the remarks to be in violation of the league’s anti-tampering rule.

Last week in Toronto, Jackson told reporters, “There are some [players] that will be available [as free agents] in the year following that you obviously have to take a look at, and this kid here is one of them. Chris Bosh, obviously everybody’s going to be interested in, and we think he’s become quite a talent.”

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Jackson, asked about the Lakers’ 4-5 record in Staples Center, took a swipe at the Dallas Mavericks and their owner, Mark Cuban.

“Some ballclubs, it’s easy to say, ‘We’re going to win 30 of our 41 games at home,’ ” he said. “But Staples is a shared arena with the Clippers, it’s a familiar arena with NBA players. It’s not what you would consider a place like Dallas, where the owner runs around, pumps up the volume, intimidates the referees and ... has announcers as hired cheerleaders, which is an intimidating force.”

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Kobe Bryant leads all guards and is second in the Western Conference to Yao Ming in All-Star voting.

“Am I really?” Bryant said. “It means a lot, man. Hopefully, the fans see how hard I play on every possession ... and they appreciate that.”

Chris Mihm is fifth among Western Conference centers, Lamar Odom 10th among forwards. Elton Brand of the Clippers is seventh among Western Conference forwards, and teammate Chris Kaman is eighth among centers.

TONIGHT

vs. Washington

7:30, FSN West, ESPN

Site -- Staples Center.

Radio -- 570, 1330.

Records -- Lakers 12-10, Wizards 9-11.

Record vs. Wizards (2004-05) -- 0-2.

Update -- Gilbert Arenas averages 27.7 points, fourth in the league, for the Wizards, who are 4-10 overall and 1-7 on the road after a 5-1 start. Former Lakers Caron Butler and Chucky Atkins have averaged 14.8 points and 6.0 points, respectively.

Tickets -- (800) 462-2489 or ticketmaster.com.