Six years ago, Ronny Turiaf's NBA career was put on hold before it began because doctors discovered an enlarged aortic root in his heart. He ended up recovering and carving out a solid NBA career for himself, and because of this, he is now a beacon of positive energy. When asked on his first day with the Washington Wizards if he felt disrespected by being traded twice in the last two years, he said he was too full of positive energy to worry about things like that.
So it comes as little surprise that Turiaf has pledged to help former Georgetown Hoyas star and current Boston Celtics forward Jeff Green overcome his own heart ailment.
Via Michael Lee of the Washington Post:
"I know what he’s going through right now," Turiaf said of Green, the former Georgetown star from Hyattsville. "Basically, I don’t feel too comfortable, remembering that time in my life. That wasn’t a pleasant time at all. I know that 24 to 48 hours after I learned about my condition, I was in a funk. I will do whatever I can to talk to him, because I know for myself, I had [former NBA player] Fred Hoiberg to guide me through it."
An aortic aneurysm was discovered in Green's heart during a routine physical, which will cause Green to miss the entire 2011-12 season. When many players say something like this, it turns into an empty gesture. With Turiaf, though, I'm confident it won't be.