TMZSports.com
If and when Bronny James needs advice on how to come back from a scary heart issue … Ronny Turiaf, one of LeBron‘s old basketball pals, tells TMZ Sports he’ll be there no questions asked for the teenager.
Turiaf, of course, famously underwent open heart surgery back in 2005 … after docs found he had an enlarged aortic root. The procedure was terrifying — it lasted hours … and the former NBA player didn’t know if he’d ever be able to hoop again even when he made it through it successfully.
But, he went on to recover fully … playing 10 years in the NBA — including one championship season with LBJ in Miami in 2011-12.
Now, Turiaf tells us he’s more than willing to provide a helping hand for James’ oldest son when it comes time for the USC star to try to get back on the hardwood following his heart scare on Monday.
Getty
Bronny James Suffers Cardiac Arrest During Workout at USC
“If Bronny ever wants to talk, I’m sure that I’ll be more than happy to talk to him,” Turiaf said on Tuesday, the 18th anniversary of his own heart procedure. “If at any given time he wants to talk, I’m always available.”
TMZ broke the story … Bronny was raced to a local hospital on Monday after he collapsed during a workout on SC’s campus. Thankfully, he was able to be treated following the cardiac arrest … and now, he’s out of the ICU and recovering.
Getty
While it’s unclear what ailment ultimately caused the issue for Bronny … Turiaf was optimistic it’ll all work out going forward.
“I don’t wish him to go under any kind of open heart surgery or whatever it may be,” said Turiaf, whose Heart To Heart Foundation has helped many recover from heart issues over the years, “but all I know is that every day it gets better and I think that’s really what it is. Every day it gets better. And pretty soon you’ll be looking at it as I started looking at it now 18 years ago.”
