"Once I failed my physical, they had zero obligation to pay for my surgery"- Ronny Turiaf recalls Dr. Jerry Buss footing his million-dollar heart surgery bill
The Los Angeles Lakers will always have a special place in Ronny Turiaf's heart. Shortly after the Lakers drafted Frenchmen, the team literally saved his life when he needed immediate surgery to fix a serious heart problem.
Even if Ronny did not have a contract with the team and despite having no guarantee that he would play basketball again, he was much more suited up for the team. The Lakers paid for all the expenses related to his operation.
"Once I failed my physical, they had zero obligation to pay for my surgery. Zero," said Turiaf. "I had never even met Dr. 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."
Buss paid for Turiaf's surgery
The Lakers selected Ronny 37th overall in the 2005 NBA Draft after he was named WCC Player of the Year at Gonzaga in 2005. Following the draft, the Lakers signed Turiaf to a two-year $1 million contract, but the contract was voided after he failed the team's post-draft physical exam.
Without an NBA contract and personal health insurance, getting the surgery would be problematic for the then-22-year-old Frenchman. But instead of leaving him to fend for himself, Lakers team owner Dr. Jerry Buss decided to pay for Turiaf's operation.
Ronny underwent a six-hour surgery and was expected to heal in six to 12 months. However, his recovery went faster than expected, and the Lakers re-signed him in January 2006. Miraculously, he was able to play 23 games during his rookie season.
Ronny always thanked Buss for saving his life
Turiaf played 173 games for the Lakers during his three NBA seasons before leaving L.A. for Golden State as a free agent in 2008. While he did not last long in Purple and Gold, Ronny will never forget what Dr. Buss did for him. And he never failed to let him know that while he was still there.
"I don't think many people know this, but after every home game I played with the Lakers, I would see Dr. Buss in the Chairman's Lounge. Just to make sure I acknowledged him. We had that unspoken language. He knew why I was coming to see him, and looked at me like, 'I got you, son. You're part of the family,'" added Turiaf.
Buss was far from being the perfect team owner and lived a controversial life. However, for all his flaws, he was a boss who cared a lot about the people around him. Turiaf is the living proof of that.
