Turiaf Says He’ll Be Back

Offering a sound resolve but understanding the complex reality of open-heart surgery, 22-year-old Ronny Turiaf chuckled, cried and assessed the turns that life can take.

A week ago, he signed a two-year contract with the Lakers after he was selected No. 37 in last month’s NBA draft, but now he faces surgery to repair an enlarged aortic root, a condition that could have taken his life and will cost him at least one season as he recuperates.

“I definitely will be back on the court,” Turiaf said Friday. “That’s my way of thinking right now. I’m going to try everything that I can to beat it. I beat a lot by myself, since I was 14 years old, trying to make a living for my family, trying to provide financial support for them. Today is just another setback.

“I will give my heart and soul to my family and to people that I care about,” he said, laughing briefly at the words he chose. “I’m going to beat this stuff up.”

Turiaf, who will undergo surgery in four to six weeks, was strong and scared Friday. He spoke often of his family. He pulled up the top of his T-shirt to dry his eyes at one point. He cursed mildly when asked if he was worried.

“I’m scared of dying,” he said. “This is a big thing. I heard that they’re going to cut my sternum up and do all kinds of stuff. I’m like, ‘Wow, this is scary.’ But I have faith. The doctors are the best. I’m scared, but I just want to open my eyes after surgery.”

Turiaf, who grew up on the Caribbean island of Martinique and left a small fishing town of 18,000 to attend a basketball academy in Paris, had been cleared twice to play despite detection of an abnormality -- once by doctors in France and again last month at the NBA pre-draft camp in Chicago.

But Laker doctors disputed past findings after further tests in the last week. One of the doctors said there was a 75% chance Turiaf would have experienced a potentially fatal episode within a three- to four-year period, Laker spokesman John Black said.

Turiaf has never felt symptoms or discomfort related to his condition.

“I don’t feel tired, you don’t see me with a lack of energy,” he said. “I’m always feeling good. I’m like, ‘Geez, can I just take some medicine or something?’ But no, you can’t. This is just the way my heart is. I guess I have just too big of a heart.”

The aortic root is the beginning part of the aorta, the body’s largest artery. The diameter of Turiaf’s aorta is 5.6 centimeters, about 50% larger than normal, which increases the possibility of a rupture.

Turiaf, a 6-foot-10 forward who graduated from Gonzaga, spoke of one regret -- that he might not be able to help his family by earning NBA money. His contract had one guaranteed year and would have paid him a total of about $1 million if the Lakers had picked up the option for his second year.

As it stands, the Lakers consider his contract to be void because it was contingent upon passing a physical. The Lakers are offering to pay for medical expenses that, barring complications, will surpass $100,000. A ruling from the league will determine if they can pay for a player’s expenses without a contract.

Turiaf thanked the Lakers and their fans during “the short time I was here.” He also thanked Kobe Bryant, who left a phone message that he would see Turiaf on the court in a year when “all that stuff will be a memory.”

Said Turiaf: “I will try everything I can to play basketball. I have faith and if not, I’m smart, I have a degree in sports management and communications. I’m going to make some money no matter what, I can guarantee you that.”