Ronny Turiaf ( , ; born 13 January 1983) is a French former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player who played 10 seasons in the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

(NBA). Turiaf grew up in France and played

college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...

for the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the United States, where he led the West Coast Conference (WCC) in scoring in his senior year. After graduating from Gonzaga, he entered the 2005 NBA draft and was picked by the Los Angeles Lakers. He later played for the

Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 i ...

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...

, Washington Wizards,

Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern C ...

Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...

and Minnesota Timberwolves. Turiaf won an NBA championship with Miami in 2012. He was also a member of the French national team. He was inducted into the French Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020.

Early life

Born in

Fort-de-France Fort-de-France (, , ; ) is a Communes of France, commune and the capital city of Martinique, an overseas department and region of France located in the Caribbean. History Before it was ceded to France by Spain in 1635, the area of Fort-de-Fra ...

, Turiaf spent most of his childhood in

Martinique Martinique ( ; or ; Kalinago language, Kalinago: or ) is an island in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the eastern Caribbean Sea. It was previously known as Iguanacaera which translates to iguana island in Carib language, Kariʼn ...

, a French overseas departments in the

Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere, located south of the Gulf of Mexico and southwest of the Sargasso Sea. It is bounded by the Greater Antilles to the north from Cuba ...

. Following the advice from his father, Turiaf moved to

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

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. In 1999, he made the French Under-18 national team, and he helped lead the team to the gold medal at the 2000 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship with future NBA stars Tony Parker, Boris Diaw, and Mickaël Piétrus.

College career

In 2001, Turiaf left France after accepting an offer to attend

Gonzaga University Gonzaga University (GU) ( ) is a Private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit university in Spokane, Washington, United States. It is Higher education accreditation in the United States, accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges ...

Spokane, Washington Spokane ( ) is the most populous city in eastern Washington and the county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It lies along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south o ...

, where he played for four years. In his last three years at Gonzaga, he was named First Team All- WCC. Additionally, in his senior year (2004–05), he was named the conference's Player of the Year. 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. 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. He graduated from Gonzaga with a degree in sports management, communication and French. He was the first triple major in his family.

Professional career

Los Angeles Lakers

2005–06 season

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 26 July 2005. His expected recovery time was between six and twelve months. As part of his rehabilitation, Turiaf signed with the

Continental Basketball Association The Continental Basketball Association (CBA), originally known as the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League, and later as the Eastern Professional Basketball League and the Eastern Basketball Association, was a men's professional basketball m ...

's Yakama Sun Kings, a team that drafted him with their 36th pick in the 2005 CBA draft. He played nine 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 17 January 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.

2006–07 season

On 1 November 2006, in the second game of the season, Ronny Turiaf scored career highs in almost every category against the

, including 8/10 shooting with 23 points and 14 rebounds.

2007–08 season

Turiaf received 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 15 November 2007, Turiaf missed two games of his own while his starts became limited. However, after Pau Gasol sprained his ankle on 14 March 2008 in

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

, Ronny took over as the starting center for nine games until Gasol returned on April 2. 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 back-to-back losses at home against the Charlotte Bobcats and the Memphis Grizzlies, two of the league's worst teams. Turiaf and the Lakers would reach the 2008 NBA Finals, but they would lose in six games to their arch rivals

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...

. During his time with the Lakers, Turiaf developed a close friendship with teammate Kobe Bryant. Bryant expressed sadness upon Turiaf's departure from the Lakers and would later say that Turiaf was one of his four all-time favorite teammates.

Golden State Warriors

On 9 July 2008, Ronny Turiaf agreed to a four-year, $17 million contract offer from the Golden State Warriors. According to free agency rules, his previous team, the Los Angeles Lakers, had seven days to match that offer. The Lakers, on July 18, decided not to match the Warriors' offer and the deal was finalized.

New York Knicks

On 9 July 2010 Turiaf was traded to the

along with Anthony Randolph, Kelenna Azubuike and a future second-round pick in a sign and trade deal for David Lee.

ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne

During the 2011 NBA lockout he signed with ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne in his native France.

Washington Wizards

On 10 December 2011, Turiaf was traded to the Washington Wizards.

Miami Heat

On 15 March 2012, Turiaf was traded to the

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...

along with JaVale McGee in a three-way trade involving the

, the

and the Washington Wizards. He was waived by the Nuggets shortly afterwards. On 21 March 2012, Turiaf signed with the

. On 21 June 2012 Turiaf won his first NBA championship.

Los Angeles Clippers

On 27 July 2012, Turiaf signed with the

Minnesota Timberwolves

On 18 July 2013, Turiaf signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He managed 31 games for Minnesota in 2013–14, but only two games in 2014–15 after being ruled out for the rest of the season on 16 December 2014, after undergoing a successful arthroscopic procedure on his right hip. Three days later, he was acquired by the Philadelphia 76ers in a three-team trade that involved the Timberwolves and the

Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA) ...

. He was waived by the 76ers on 23 December 2014. Turiaf announced his retirement from basketball on 24 October 2016, almost two years after having appeared in his last game and after having been plagued by hip pain for a long time.

National team career

Turiaf represented the senior French national team internationally. With France, he competed at the following major tournaments: the 2003 EuroBasket, the 2006 FIBA World Championship, the 2007 EuroBasket, the 2009 EuroBasket, and the 2012 London Summer Olympics.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

, - , align="left" , , align="left" , L.A. Lakers , 23 , , 1 , , 7.0 , , .500 , , .000 , , .556 , , 1.6 , , .3 , , .1 , , .4 , , 2.0 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , L.A. Lakers , 72 , , 1 , , 15.1 , , .549 , , .000 , , .664 , , 3.6 , , .9 , , .2 , , 1.1 , , 5.3 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , L.A. Lakers , 78 , , 21 , , 18.7 , , .474 , , .000 , , .753 , , 3.9 , , 1.6 , , .4 , , 1.4 , , 6.6 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , Golden State , 79 , , 26 , , 21.5 , , .508 , , .000 , , .790 , , 4.6 , , 2.1 , , .4 , , 2.1 , , 5.9 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , Golden State , 42 , , 20 , , 20.8 , , .582 , , .000 , , .474 , , 4.5 , , 2.1 , , .5 , , 1.3 , , 4.9 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , New York , 64 , , 21 , , 17.8 , , .632 , , .000 , , .622 , , 3.2 , , 1.4 , , .5 , , 1.1 , , 4.2 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , Washington , 4 , , 0 , , 14.5 , , 1.000 , , .000 , , .000 , , 3.0 , , 1.3 , , 1.5 , , .8 , , 1.5 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;", † , align="left" ,

Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

, 13 , , 5 , , 17.0 , , .533 , , .000 , , .591 , , 4.5 , , .4 , , .6 , , 1.1 , , 3.5 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , L.A. Clippers , 65 , , 0 , , 10.8 , , .505 , , .000 , , .365 , , 2.3 , , .5 , , .3 , , .5 , , 1.9 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

, 31 , , 10 , , 19.5 , , .598 , , .000 , , .420 , , 5.6 , , .8 , , .3 , , 1.6 , , 4.8 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 2 , , 0 , , 9.5 , , .000 , , .000 , , .000 , , .5 , , 1.0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 473 , , 105 , , 17.0 , , .533 , , .000 , , .636 , , 3.7 , , 1.3 , , .4 , , 1.3 , , 4.7

Playoffs

, - , align="left" , 2006 , align="left" , L.A. Lakers , 3 , , 0 , , 8.3 , , .600 , , .000 , , .833 , , 2.3 , , .0 , , .0 , , .3 , , 3.7 , - , align="left" , 2007 , align="left" , L.A. Lakers , 4 , , 0 , , 12.0 , , .357 , , .000 , , .700 , , 3.0 , , .3 , , .5 , , .3 , , 4.3 , - , align="left" , 2008 , align="left" , L.A. Lakers , 19 , , 0 , , 9.8 , , .389 , , .000 , , .588 , , 1.4 , , .3 , , .1 , , .9 , , 2.0 , - , align="left" ,

2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...

, align="left" , New York , 4 , , 4 , , 18.8 , , .667 , , .000 , , .700 , , 2.8 , , 1.0 , , .3 , , 1.5 , , 5.8 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

† , align="left" ,

, 12 , , 7 , , 10.1 , , .556 , , .000 , , .273 , , 2.6 , , .1 , , .1 , , .7 , , 1.9 , - , align="left" ,

2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...

, align="left" , L.A. Clippers , 5 , , 0 , , 11.8 , , .700 , , .000 , , .500 , , 1.6 , , .0 , , .2 , , .6 , , 3.2 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 47 , , 11 , , 11.0 , , .495 , , .000 , , .586 , , 2.0 , , .2 , , .1 , , .8 , , 2.7

Personal life

Turiaf can speak five languages: French, English, Spanish, Italian, and

Antillean Creole Antillean French Creole (also known as Lesser Antillean Creole, Kreyol, or Patois) is a French-based creole languages, French-based creole language that is primarily spoken in the Lesser Antilles caribbean. Its grammar and vocabulary include ele ...

(his native language). He has four younger sisters: Elodie, Florence, Nadia, and Rachelle. In August 2009, Turiaf set up his "Heart to Heart" Foundation to provide medical care to children who do not have health insurance and cannot afford the care they need. According to the Foundation's website, the mission is "to provide support, including echocardiograms to people with heart related issues so they can live a healthy and happy life."

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Turiaf, Ronny 1983 births Living people Emlyon Business School alumni 2006 FIBA World Championship players ASVEL Basket players Basketball players at the 2012 Summer Olympics Black French sportspeople Centre Fédéral de Basket-ball players French men's basketball players French expatriate basketball people in the United States French people of Martiniquais descent Golden State Warriors players Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball players Los Angeles Clippers players Los Angeles Lakers draft picks Los Angeles Lakers players Martiniquais men's basketball players Miami Heat players Minnesota Timberwolves players NBA players from France New York Knicks players Olympic basketball players for France People from Le Robert Power forwards Washington Wizards players Yakama Sun Kings players 21st-century French sportsmen