Former NBA athlete Chase Budinger made a remarkable comeback on Monday, securing his first victory in beach volleyball at the Olympics.
After not consistently playing on the beach until his NBA career concluded, Budinger and partner Miles Evans qualified for the Summer Games.
Both are making their Olympic debuts in Paris and started strong with a solid win against two local favorites.
They achieved a 21-14, 21-11 win over the French pair Arnaud Gauthier-Rat and Youssef Krou on the sandy court.
Budinger’s basketball stature was beneficial, as the 6’7″ powerhouse effectively blocked shots and deflected attacks.
Former NBA player Chase Budinger has won his first beach volleyball game at the Olympics
The 6ft 7 powerhouse blocked shots and swatted away spikes during a comfortable victory
Budinger was a dual-sport star in high school, excelling in both basketball and beach volleyball.
In beach volleyball, he earned the title of National Player of the Year in 2006 and received MVP honors at a junior Olympic volleyball event.
However, he opted to focus on basketball upon graduating and went on to play at Arizona.
Following a strong sophomore season in 2007-08, he entered the NBA Draft but ultimately chose to withdraw.
After one more season, he re-entered the draft in 2009, where he was selected 44th overall by the Detroit Pistons.
On draft night, his rights were conveyed to the Houston Rockets, his inaugural team.
During his first three years, he averaged around 20-22 minutes of play per game, shooting between 42% and 44% from the floor.
Budinger and partner Miles Evans beat French duo Arnaud Gauthier-Rat and Youssef Krou
Before the Olympics, Budinger was a star basketball player and even played in the NBA
He was later traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves but saw reduced playing time over three seasons.
He then moved to the Indiana Pacers, where he played 49 games before being waived in March, eventually signing with the Phoenix Suns shortly after.
Subsequently, he had a brief tenure with the Brooklyn Nets before being waived again, leading to a short stint in Europe.
He retired in 2017 and shifted his full attention to beach volleyball, competing on the AVP tour ever since.
By competing this Monday, Budinger made history as the first person to play in Olympic beach volleyball and appear in an NBA regular-season game.
The only other individual to follow a similar journey was Keith Erickson, who participated in the 1964 Summer Olympics indoor volleyball team in Tokyo and won an NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1972.
