Basketball legend’s victory over addiction

The story of a basketball legend who exchanged sex, drugs and rock ‘n‘ roll for Transcendental Meditation

The story of John Leslie Fultz’s autobiographic novel takes place in the 70s when getting high on drugs and free love was still in fashion. Reading it is like watching – in slow motion and with no hope of a turnaround in sight – your home team torn apart at the seams.

Until the Transcendental Meditation technique enters the game.

First quarter: Italy

John Fultz was a talented young basketball player whom L.A. Lakers tried to recruit. However, the conditions of the offer were not too impressive. So, John decided to head to Europe to gain experience, expecting to join his dream team in a few years.

In Italy, John excelled as a member of the European Championship team, Ignis Varese, and as the star player at Bologna Virtus. Unfortunately, however, he also sank deeper into the “sex, drugs and rock ‘n‘ roll” lifestyle.

Second quarter: USA

Impressed with his game in Italy, L.A. Lakers invited him back to California to discuss a contract offer. Yet as John was unable to resists the temptation of drugs and partying, he lost the chance to fulfill his goal – this time for good.

He then returned to Europe and headed to Amsterdam with his friends and even ended up buying up a drug den there. John’s lifestyle had hit an ultimate low.

Third quarter: Switzerland

Fortunately, John realized after this overindulgence in Holland that the partying cannot go on forever. Determined to find something to replace the drugs, John recalled that The Beatles were practicing some calming technique under the tutelage of their smiley guru, Maharishi. The word that had stuck in John’s head from the media coverage was ‘Yoga’.

So he set out to Luzern to learn yoga from a Guru called Babaji.

On his way over, however, John got off the wrong stop and arrived in Lausanne instead. As a result, he ended up heading to the Geneva’s Transcendental Meditation centre.

As expected, John found from Transcendental Meditation just what was missing in his life as a talented yet restless basketball player – relaxation and stress elimination. No outside restrictions regarding lifestyle, just changes that come naturally. When his friends tried to talk him into joining them to do drugs again, John now simply replied: “I feel high enough from my new meditation technique.”

Fourth quarter: back in Italy, with vengeance

John Fultz also felt that because of Transcendental Meditation he was more concentrated and was better able to communicate with his teammates as a player. This was certainly proven a fact on the court as Bologna Virtus went on to win the Italian Cup.

At a final whistle, this is then a story of a downfall turned into a tale of a Fearless Falcon – with no limits to how high it can fly.

Watch a video with John Fultz retelling his life’s story in person (in fluent Italian)