They Called Me Cochise
From The Rhody Rams to the L.A. Lakers to the European Championship during the hippie generation, and the torrid passion that ignited basketball’s growth in Italy!
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The book I wrote is entitled "They Called Me Cochise" due to the fact that the Italian fans nicknamed me Cochise or Kociss in Italian. It's a autobiographical novel regarding my life as a pro basketball player during the early seventies, during the hippy generation. After playing at the University of Rhode Island and becoming one of the all-time top scorers and rebounders, I was drafted by the Lakers but went to Italy to play on the European Championship team, Ignis Varese. From there I went to Bologna to play on the Virtus team and, in the meantime returned to L.A. only to lose a contract due to drug problems.
Through exciting life experiences described page after page we not only learn basketball history, including the European scene and the basketball boom in Bologna, but also analyze hippy principals and their resulting effects. Of course, some of the hippy doctrine like world peace, sharing and helping the disadvantaged, appreciating and protecting nature were positive but others which include attempting to achieve higher consciousness with experiences induced chemically and the promiscuity resulting from the concept of free-love were dangerously negative. This book is a realistic and transparent trip through a life haunted by consequences caused by the application of these wrong principals and in its ending offers an alternative that could be beneficial to today's youth. Because of its honesty and transparency it should become an important tool to help today's youth make the right choices.
Probably the greatest satisfaction I have had has been due to the reviews that I have had from critics and writers who appreciated the book. One accomplished sports writer , Marco Tarozzi who is such an admirer of Jack Keroac that he went to the States to visit his grave, generously compared it to "On The Road" due to its page turning adventurous life descriptions and fast paced style! He also wrote that he believes that all sports fans and basketball fanatics should read my story since it does describe my times with the Lakers, my encounters with Dr. J and even hippie-like experiences with John Belushi as well as the basketball scene and life in Italy!
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About the Book
When soon after I started to meditate, I seemed to find myself inside of the beautiful birds body, flying so free. It was a beautiful feeling, the feeling of free flight, and I was able to fly wherever I wished and when suddenly I returned to my own body, there underneath the tree, I felt like a new person. I felt as if I was one with all that surrounded me in nature.
The Fearless Falcon
Where time is lost and truth begins,
the chains are finally broken.
All without you find within,
once scarred and tangled, now silken.
The worldly lust that pained once so,
seems now just an ancient token.
The Fearless Falcon flies so high,
True love can never be broken.
I read “Cochise” and I congratulate John!" "Cochise" is free, beautiful, interesting and full of surprises. It is sensitive and able to fully convey the spirit of an era, the hippie generation. An enjoyable universal crossroad, John Leslie Fultz, Cochise for European basketball fans, is a psychedelic author, who writes as creatively as he scored baskets. His college rivalry with the great Julius “Dr. J” Erving, adventures with the late, great John Belushi, his friendship with Italian singers Vasco Rossi and Lucio Dalla and his teammates, Claude English and Dino Meneghin are all included!
Luca Maggitti- Journalist and Writer. Conducts basketball TV programs. Journalist for Il Tempo since 2001.
“They Called Me Kociss” is an intense, fast paced, vibrant story. It is pure, sincere and honest like the man who decided to write it always was both during happy and difficult times. A great and important message that should be beneficial to the new generation. It is story that is not only for those who love basketball! Marco Tarozzi –Won Coni- USSI’s Award as “Sports Writer of the Year” (2004)
About the Author
The book I wrote is entitled "They Called Me Cochise" due to the fact that the Italian fans nicknamed me Cochise or Kociss in Italian. It's a autobiographical novel regarding my life as a pro basketball player during the early seventies, during the hippy generation. After playing at the University of Rhode Island and becoming one of the all-time top scorers and rebounders, I was drafted by the Lakers but went to Italy to play on the European Championship team, Ignis Varese. From there I went to Bologna to play on the Virtus team and , in the meantime returned to L.A. only to lose a contract due to drug problems.
Through exciting life experiences described page after page we not only learn basketball history, including the European scene and the basketball boom in Bologna, but also analyze hippy principals and their resulting effects. Of course, some of the hippy doctrine like world peace, sharing and helping the disadvantaged, ap-preciating and protecting nature were positive but others which include attempting to achieve higher con-sciousness with experiences induced chemically and the promiscuity resulting from the concept of free-love were dangerously negative. This book is a realistic and transparent trip through a life haunted by consequences caused by the application of these wrong principals and in its ending offers an alternative that could be beneficial to today's youth. Because of its honesty and transparency it should become an important tool to help today's youth make the right choices.
Probably the greatest satisfaction I have had has been due to the reviews that I have had from critics and writers who appreciated the book. One accomplished sports writer , Marco Tarozzi who is such an admirer of Jack Keroac that he went to the States to visit his grave, generously compared it to "On The Road" due to its page turning adventurous life descriptions and fast paced style! He also wrote that he believes that all sports fans and basketball fanatics should read my story since it does describe my times with the Lakers, my encounters with Dr. J and even hippie-like experiences with John Belushi as well as the basketball scene and life in Italy!
I've been teaching English and writing techniques for almost twenty years and due to this experience as well as my experience as a professional basketball player I feel qualified to write this book. I'm presently teaching at the British Language School in Portici. I'm married to Caterina and have two children Robert and Jessica. Rob is a pro basketball player, now playing in Brindisi, Italy and my daughter Jessica is the proud mother of two children, Jack and Lorenzo. Caterina has been a great help in getting this book published so thanks to her and Robert are definitely at hand!