Ronny Turiaf
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Ronny Turiaf lining up for a free throw
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| Position | Power Forward |
|---|---|
| Height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) |
| Weight | 249 lb (113 kg) |
| League | NBA |
| Team | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Jersey | #21 |
| Born | January 13, 1983 Le Robert, Martinique |
| Nationality |  France |
| College | Gonzaga |
| Draft | 2nd round, 37th overall, 2005 Los Angeles Lakers |
| Pro career | 2006–present |
| Former teams | Yakama Sun Kings |
| Awards | 2005 WCC Player of the Year |
| Official profile | Info Page |
Ronny Turiaf (born January 13, 1983 in Le Robert, Martinique) is a French basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA. He also plays as a member of the French national basketball team. Turiaf is most notably known for his aggressive play and his dance routines at the sidelines used to support and invigorate his teammates. Due to his personality, he is often referred to as the Lakers' best cheerleader, though he admits he does not like the title.[1]
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life
Turiaf spent most of his childhood in Martinique, an island in the Caribbean Sea. Following the advice from his father, Turiaf moved to Paris in 1998, at the age of 15, to attend the National Institute of Physical Education (Insep), a school that combines rigorous secondary education with elite-level athletic training.[2]
In 1999, he made the French Under-18 national team, and in 2000, he helped lead the team to the European title with future NBA stars Tony Parker, Boris Diaw, and Mickaël Piétrus.[3]
[edit] College years
In 2001, Turiaf left France after accepting an offer to attend Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, where he played for four years. In his last three years at Gonzaga, he was named First Team All-WCC.[2] Additionally, in his senior year (2004-2005), he was named as the conference's Player of the Year.[2] He ended his college career as the fourth all-time leader in scoring and rebounding in school history, with 1,723 points and 859 rebounds, respectively.[2] He averaged 13.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per game through his college years at Gonzaga, but led the WCC averaging 15.9 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game as a senior.[2][4] He graduated from Gonzaga with a degree in sports management and communication.[2]
[edit] 2005-2006 season
[edit] Open-heart surgery
Ronny Turiaf was the 37th overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft to the Los Angeles Lakers, signing a two-year, $1 million contract. After a physical exam conducted by the Lakers just four weeks after the draft, team doctor, John Moe, found an enlarged aortic root in Turiaf's heart. After multiple examinations by other physicians, the Lakers decided that the problem, which was cleared by doctors in both France and the NBA's pre-Draft camp, was serious enough to require surgery. The Lakers were forced to void Turiaf's contract but retained his rights in case he was cleared to play again after the surgery. In addition, the team paid for all the expenses from the surgery. Turiaf underwent the six-hour open-heart surgery on July 26, 2005. His expected recovery time was between six and twelve months.[5]
As part of his rehabilitation, Turiaf signed with the Continental Basketball Association's Yakama Sun Kings, a team that drafted him with their 36th pick in the 2005 CBA draft.[6] He played 9 games with the Sun Kings, averaging 13 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Turiaf recovered from his surgery quicker than expected and was therefore re-signed with the Lakers on January 17, 2006, less than six months after his surgery. In order to make room on the team's 15-man roster, the Lakers waived guard Laron Profit after his season-ending injury.[7]
[edit] 2006-2007 season
On November 1, 2006, the second game of the season, Ronny Turiaf scored career highs in almost every category against the Warriors, including 8/10 shooting with 23 points.
[edit] 2007-2008 season
Ronny Turiaf has received valuable playing time due to the many Laker injuries during the 2007-08 season. He was in the starting line-up at the beginning of the season as a forward alongside Lamar Odom, but after spraining his left ankle during practice on November 15, 2007, Turiaf missed two games of his own while his starts became limited.[8] However, after Pau Gasol sprained his ankle on March 14, 2008 in New Orleans, Ronny took over as the starting center for nine games until Gasol returned on April 2.[9] In that nine game span, Turiaf's stats jumped to over 30 minutes per game with 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Yet the Lakers went 5–4 during those nine games, including two devastating, back-to-back losses at home against the Charlotte Bobcats and the Memphis Grizzlies, two of the league's worst teams.[10]
[edit] NBA statistics
[edit] By Year
| Year | Team | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-06 | Los Angeles Lakers | 7.0 | .500 | .556 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 2.0 |
| 2006-07 | Los Angeles Lakers | 15.1 | .549 | .664 | 3.6 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 1.1 | 5.3 |
| 2007-08 | Los Angeles Lakers | 18.7 | .474 | .753 | 3.9 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 6.6 |
| Career Averages | 15.6 | .504 | .703 | 3.5 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 1.1 | 5.5 | |
- MPG: Minutes Per Game
- FG%: Field Goal Percentage
- FT%: Free Throw Percentage
- RPG: Rebounds Per Game
- APG: Assists Per Game
- SPG: Steals Per Game
- BPG: Blocks Per Game
- PPG: Points Per Game
[edit] Career highs
- Points: 23 at Warriors on November 1, 2006
- FG made: 8 on 2 occasions
- FT made: 8 at Sonics on January 14, 2008
- Rebounds: 15 vs. Suns on April 8, 2007
- Assists: 6 on 3 occasions
- Steals: 3 vs. Timberwolves on November 9, 2007
- Blocks: 5 on 4 occasions
- Minutes: 40 vs. Wizards on March 30, 2008
All stats according to NBA.com.[11]
[edit] Personal info
- Speaks five languages: French, English, Spanish, Italian, and Creole (native language)[2]
- Originally committed to the University of Connecticut where he planned to major in business[2]
- Has three younger sisters: Elodie, Florence and Rachelle[2]
- Enjoys playing video games and reading books[2]
- Favorite food is fried chicken with ranch dressing[2]
- Favorite movies are Scarface and Malcolm X[2]
[edit] Notes
- ^ This is Not a Cheerleader. Wikio.com (2008). Retrieved on 2008-03-24.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Ronny Turiaf Bio Page. NBA.com (2008). Retrieved on 2008-03-24.
- ^ RONNY TURIAF: A Multicultural Warrior. NBA.com (2007). Retrieved on 2008-03-27.
- ^ #21 Ronny Turiaf. NBA.com (2007). Retrieved on 2008-03-27.
- ^ Turiaf needs heart surgery. SpokesmanReview.com (2005). Retrieved on 2008-03-27.
- ^ CBA Draft. InsideHoops.com (2005). Retrieved on 2008-03-27.
- ^ Six months after heart surgery, Turiaf joins Lakers. ESPN.com (2006). Retrieved on 2008-03-27.
- ^ Turiaf Injured in Practice. Lakers.com Basketblog (2007). Retrieved on 2008-03-30.
- ^ Pau Ankle Injury. Lakers.com Basketblog (2008). Retrieved on 2008-03-30.
- ^ Bryant Scores Just Six of His 53 in Final Quarter. NBA.com (2008). Retrieved on 2008-04-13.
- ^ Ronny Turiaf Career Stats Page. NBA.com (2008). Retrieved on 2008-03-24.
[edit] External links
- Ronny Turiaf Info Page at NBA.com
- News item on surgery from official Gonzaga athletics site
- Profile at official Gonzaga athletics site
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Turiaf, Ronny |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Professional basketball player |
| DATE OF BIRTH | January 13, 1983 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Le Robert, Martinique |
| DATE OF DEATH | |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
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