Meet Chase Budinger: the NBA star turned US Olympic beach volleyball player

One thing that makes the Olympic Games so unique is the stories athletes carry behind them, and Chase Budinger is someone who can boast about an incredible tale.

Born in California in 1988, Budinger (6 feet, four inches tall) will participate in his first Olympic Games, representing Team USA in beach volleyball. Since he was a kid, volleyball has been in Budinger’s heart; he played (and won tournaments) with La Costa Canyon High School and was even recognized as Volleyball Magazine’s Best Player of the Year in 2005.

But what makes Budinger’s story so different from others? Well, we have to consider that he was a professional NBA player eight years ago! The difference between sports is evident, but he was able to compete at the top level in both.

Let’s have a look at Chase Budinger’s story.

Where did Chase Budinger play in the NBA?

Although Budinger’s love story with volleyball still needed to be completed, he decided to pursue his dream of becoming a professional basketball player. When he was 18, he played the McDonald’s All-America game in 2006, one of the NBA’s most important prospects tournaments. What’s more, he was named MVP of the match and played alongside a young Kevin Durant. Who would have thought!

He then joined Arizona University, played in the NCAA, and, after three years of college competitions, was picked number 44 in the 2009 NBA Draft’s second round by the Houston Rockets. It was the beginning of a promising career that, unfortunately, lost importance as the years went by.

Between 2009 and 2016, Budinger also played for NBA teams Minnesota Timberwolves and Indiana Pacers, averaging 7.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.2 assists. Afterward, he embarked on a trip to Spain to play for Baskonia, where he played for only one year, averaging 7.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, and one assist in 20 league games. However, after only one year, his contract expired, and in 2017, he retired from basketball to finish his earlier story.

Chase Budinger’ story with beach volleyball

The former NBA player decided to become a beach volleyball player in 2018, which would be such a drastic change for most people, considering the differences between sports. “I was lucky to make a transition to another sport and compete at the top level. Many players, when their careers end, are confused and lost. I have been lucky.”, Budinger confessed in an interview.

He started playing beach volleyball with Sean Rosenthal, a former United States volleyball Olympian at Beijing 2008 and London 2012, and his objective was clear: competing in the Olympic Games. After several partner changes, he teamed up with Miles Evans, with whom he qualified for this 2024 edition of the games.

Chase Budinger and Miles Evans’s 2024 Olympic Games schedule

The American couple started ranked number 4 in the USA beach volleyball doubles rankings. Still, with effort and dedication, they rose to second and obtained the last beach volleyball spot for the United States in Paris 2024.

Budinger—Evans will start their Olympic dream on Monday, July 29, against the French couple Krou and Gauthier-Rat in Group F.

They will be joined in the same group by players representing the Netherlands (Boermans and de Groot), Spain (Herrera and Gavira), Sweden (Ahman and Hellvig), and Qatar (Cherif and Ahmed).