Chase Budinger's second career is proving to be even more successful than his first.
This is significant given Budinger's impressive basketball background, which includes seven NBA seasons and around $18 million in earnings. Now, at 36, he’s making headlines in beach volleyball.
On Monday at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Budinger and his beach volleyball partner, Miles Evans, won their opening match, defeating France's Youssef Krou and Arnaud Gauthier-Rat in straight sets (21-14, 21-11). This was their Olympic debut.
Budinger, a dual-sport athlete in high school at La Costa Canyon in Carlsbad, California, initially focused on basketball in college. He was a five-star recruit in the 2006 class, co-MVP of the McDonald's All-American Game with Kevin Durant, and later played for Arizona.
After his NBA career, Budinger briefly played in the EuroLeague before retiring from basketball in 2017 to pursue volleyball full-time. He joined the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) in 2018, and two years ago, he and Evans decided to team up, aiming to qualify for the Olympics. They are currently ranked No. 13 in the world by the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB).
Budinger’s college career was highlighted by leading La Costa Canyon to a CIF San Diego Section basketball title and three volleyball state championships. Despite offers from USC and UCLA to play both sports, he chose to focus on basketball at Arizona.
In the NBA, Budinger was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in 2009 but traded to the Houston Rockets. He later played for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Indiana Pacers, and Phoenix Suns, and spent the 2016-17 season with Baskonia in the EuroLeague. Budinger averaged 7.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game over his NBA career.
In the 2012 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, Budinger finished as the runner-up to Jeremy Evans.
Budinger's family includes his parents, Duncan and Māra Budinger, and his older siblings, Brittanie and Duncan, who also play volleyball. His maternal grandfather, Andrejs Eglītis, authored "A Man From Latvia" after moving to the U.S. post-World War II.
