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Chase Budinger, who spent seven seasons in the NBA, made his Olympic debut on Monday. But it wasn't on the basketball court — it was on the beach.
Budinger and his partner, Miles Evans, handily defeated their French opponents — 21-14, 21-11 — beneath the Eiffel Tower to win Team USA's opening match of the Olympic beach volleyball tournament.
The American duo arrived in Paris ranked 13th in the world. They emerged victorious from their first match in just over 30 minutes.
"It definitely lived up to expectations, man," Budinger said after the win. "I felt like it went too fast. I felt like there were times where I should have enjoyed the view a little more."
The two will get at least two more chances to play, on Tuesday and Friday. They also got words of encouragement from members of the U.S. men's basketball team, including during a surprise encounter with LeBron James.
And Budinger, 36 years old and 6' 7", now has another accolade to add to his long list: He's the first athlete to have ever played in both an NBA regular season game and an Olympic beach volleyball game.
Here's how he did it.
From the basketball bench to the volleyball beach
Budinger grew up playing volleyball and basketball, competing at the varsity level in both sports throughout all four years of high school in Carlsbad, Calif.
He was offered scholarships to play both volleyball and basketball at USC and UCLA, but ultimately decided to play basketball at the University of Arizona. At the time, he was considered the most highly decorated player to enter their program.
After three collegiate seasons and 100 games — in which he averaged 17 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists — Budinger declared for the 2009 NBA draft.
Budinger was picked 44th by the Detroit Pistons, who traded him that same night to the Houston Rockets. He played there for three seasons before he was traded in 2012 to the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he faced a series of injuries. He started the 2015-2016 season with the Indiana Pacers and, after being waived, finished it with the Phoenix Suns.
Budinger played his final NBA game in April 2016, and finished out that year playing for Baskonia in Spain. He officially retired from basketball in 2017.
Like many retirees, he dreamed of the beach. Beach volleyball, that is.
Budinger joined the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) in 2018, and went on to earn the titles of Rookie of the Year and Most Improved Player in quick succession. He won his first AVP title in 2019.
Budinger and his various playing partners won a series of silver and gold medals on the professional beach volleyball circuit in the years that followed.
He's been playing alongside Evans since 2013, and the two qualified for the U.S. men's Olympic team in June.
On Monday, Budinger recalled how he let his nerves get the better of him during his first NBA game in 2009: "I was 0-for-2 (from 3-point range), had two turnovers and one of my shots I had was an airball."
Things looked pretty different this time around.
"It took me six years," Budinger added, according to the Associated Press. "It took me a long time to finally achieve this goal and I am here competing at the Olympics. And there is no better feeling."
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