Happy to be back home
Ronny Turiaf met with the media Friday afternoon for the first time since undergoing open-heart surgery late last month at Stanford University Medical Center in Palo Alto, Calif.
The former Gonzaga University basketball standout and second-round draft pick of the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers was noticeably thinner than last winter when he led the Bulldogs to a 26-5 record, a West Coast Conference championship and a seventh consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament.
But he has not lost his zest for life, his mischievous smile or his sense of humor.
After explaining that he has lost 25 pounds since undergoing surgery July 26 to repair an enlarged aortic root, the native of Le Robert, Martinique,added, “But I’m excited. I can go to the beach now and not be afraid to show my stomach.”
Turiaf spent nearly 30 minutes addressing the media and answering questions in the Herak Room at Gonzaga’s McCarthey Athletic Center and was quick to thank those who have supported him.
According to GU sports information director Oliver Pierce, Turiaf has received hundreds of cards and letters and over 1,000 e-mails. -
“I was really surprised to see how much awareness was created around my health,” Turiaf said. “It felt pretty good to see the people still cared about me, even though I wasn’t going to wear the Gonzaga jersey anymore.”
Turiaf said he decided to return to Spokane to be among friends who understand him and know what he needs to do to make a full recovery.
“I don’t have a house anywhere,” he explained. “I’ve got to go somewhere where I feel like I belong – where I have a chance to do the right thing in order for me to play basketball again. I could go back to my country, sit on the beach and relax, but I don’t want that right now. I want to get back healthy, so I have to come to Spokane where I can talk to doctors on a regular basis.
“Everybody here, I feel like, has the best intentions for me. Spokane is my house, even though I hate the weather here in the winter.”
Turiaf also admitted it “feels pretty darn good to be back in Spokane and seeing the people that you love on a daily basis. I think it’s going to help (me) have a speedy recovery, and I’ll be back on the court soon.”
Turiaf, who is staying at the home of former teammate Brian Michaelson, said his rehabilitation is going well. He has been riding an exercise bike for 10 to 15 minutes at a time and is able to trot up and down the basketball court while dribbling a ball.
“It’s a good feeling to be out there and doing something instead of just sitting at home and waiting for something to happen … and playing video games.”
When asked if he has been a good patient or simply impatient, Turiaf said: “Right now, I’m a good patient, because they allow me to do something. But I think before that I was just impatient, because I just wanted to go out there and do something. But once I started walking for five minutes, I’d get sick for nine hours.
“Now I can just go run around, whatever I want. I feel good about what I’m doing and about my health. I’m on the right path at the right pace and I’m excited to just keep going.”
Turiaf said doctors have promised him that after three months he can start playing basketball again, but added he does not know if they mean professionally. He will return to Palo Alto on Nov. 7 for a checkup and further tests.
The Lakers, who voided his $1 million contract after learning of his heart problem, still own his NBA rights and paid for his surgery.
Turiaf said he never once asked himself, “Why me?” He went so far as to say he had a feeling that something might go wrong because, “My life was too good.”
“I had just graduated,” he added. “I was having a good time in the (NBA’s) summer league and I got drafted by one of the most prestigious teams in the NBA, and I was like, ‘Man, this is too good.’ “