Chase Budinger’s second act has begun.
The former NBA player won his first Olympic beach volleyball match on Monday alongside teammate Miles Evans.
The pair defeated France’s Arnaud Gautier-Latte and Youssef Crewe in Pool F action, 21-14, 21-11 in two sets.
His basketball roots, which include seven seasons in the NBA, were evident in the game, as his 6-foot-7 frame made blocking shots and spiking the ball look easy.
Budinger, 36, averaged 7.9 points and three rebounds per game during an NBA career that was cut short by injury.
He was selected 44th overall by the Houston Rockets in the 2009 draft and played for the team until 2012.
Budinger also played for the Minnesota Timberwolves (2012-15) and spent his final season in the United States with the Indiana Pacers and Phoenix Suns in 2015-16 before spending a year in Spain.
In 2006, he was named MVP of the McDonald’s All-American Game along with Kevin Durant.
Budinger is no newcomer to the sport, having led La Costa Canyon High School in California to three championships, but chose to continue his basketball career at the University of Arizona.
After the NBA, he connected with two-time Olympian beach volleyball player Sean Rosenthal and started a new chapter.
2024 Paris Olympics
“It was a really hectic time,” Budinger told The Ringer. Mirin fader On his career change: “It’s crazy to even think about it. The first part of my life was all about basketball, and for the longest time, that was my focus.”
he Posted a video on Instagram Budinger was filmed greeting some of his old NBA friends, including Durant, Diana Taurasi, Anthony Davis and LeBron James, and Budinger said it motivated him to have them all compete in the same Olympics.
“I’m going to be watching,” James said in a video watching Budinger’s Olympic run. “I’m going to watch it!”
“Basketball is like a brotherhood,” Budinger told The Fader. “…Knowing that KD is going to his fourth Olympics gives me even more motivation to go to the Olympics this year. And Steph [Curry] [is] “I’m playing and this is LeBron’s final play. I can’t wait to watch them and cheer them on.”
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Budinger and Evans will next face Stefan Bomans and Yorick de Groot of the Netherlands on Tuesday at 2pm ET.
