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Turiaf says 2005 heart surgery 'formed me into the person I am'

Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Ronny Turiaf is hoping to continue his NBA career after being waived by the Philadelphia 76ers in December, but it's safe to say his outlook on life is not one-dimensional.

The 10-year NBA veteran center is one of the latest athletes to pen work for The Players' Tribune, writing a powerful piece about the 2005 open heart surgery that almost derailed his career before it began.

Four weeks after the Martinique-born big man was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round that year out of Gonzaga, a routine physical detected an enlarged aorta. Turiaf wrote:

I'll never forget being in the room with Lakers team doctor John Moe, who told me straight up, "Listen. You have two choices: a) You stop playing basketball. You are on blood thinners for the rest of your life. You can't really do too much activity. Or b) surgery. And there is a chance you'll come back and play."

Alright, how soon can I have surgery?

The Lakers had to void Turiaf's rookie contract at that point, and were not required to pay for his surgery. They did anyways.

"Gratitude" is also my word for the Lakers. Once I failed my physical, they had zero obligation to pay for my surgery. Zero. I had never even met (late owner Jerry) Buss at that point. But they did, and they were added to the list of people I needed to honor by getting back on the court.

Turiaf actually underwent two surgeries, recovered, and - because the team had retained his rights - made his Lakers debut less than six months later. His best season came in 2007-08, when he averaged a career-high 6.6 points and 3.9 rebounds in just under 19 minutes per game as a rotation big on a team that reached the NBA Finals.

A decade after his surgery, Turiaf said it "formed me into the person I am."

The 32-year-old only played two games for the Minnesota Timberwolves last season before getting traded to the Sixers in the Corey Brewer three-way deal. And while he hopes for another NBA job, he added that his life now is all about the experience.

"Let's keep it real for two seconds: I'd been opened up like a lobster," Turiaf wrote. "I had wires in there. The scar was very bright against my skin, and my pectoral muscle is a little lopsided. But now I'm more comfortable ... I wear that scar proudly ... like a gladiator. A lion that fought for his tribe, and is still standing."

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