by Mike Marek, columnist
Chase Budinger is heading to the Olympics, but not in the sport you might expect. The former NBA player, known for his time with the Timberwolves and his explosive dunks, has transitioned from basketball to beach volleyball. This summer, he will represent the United States in the Olympic Beach Volleyball tournament. Budinger’s journey to the Olympics is the story of rekindling a former passion into reality.
Before his professional basketball career, he was a standout in both basketball and volleyball during high school. At La Costa Canyon High School in Carlsbad, Calif., Budinger led his volleyball team to three state championships and was named the National Player of the Year. Despite his success in volleyball, Budinger chose to focus on basketball, attending the University of Arizona on a basketball scholarship.
At Arizona, Budinger had a solid but unspectacular college basketball career, which led to him being drafted in the second round of the 2009 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons and then immediately traded to the Houston Rockets. He went on to play seven seasons in the NBA, with stints at the Timberwolves, Pacers, and Suns. While he was a dependable role player in the league, his career was marred by injuries, and he decided to retire from basketball in 2017.
But Budinger wasn’t done with sports. He always continued to hold a flame for volleyball, a sport in which he excelled in high school. To get close to his former passion, he went to Hermosa Beach, Calif., the center of the universe for U.S. Beach volleyball, and began training seriously for his second athletic career. His transition to professional beach volleyball was rapid as he was named Association of Volleyball Professionals Rookie of the Year in 2018, and his performances steadily improved as he gained experience on the sand.
Partners and chemistry are huge components in beach volleyball; while training, Budinger found his compatible teammate in Miles Evans. Together, they have competed in international qualifying tournaments and emerged as one of the top two American men’s teams, securing their spot in the Paris Olympics.
Budinger’s achievement is historic. He will become the first person to have played in the NBA and compete in Olympic beach volleyball. This unique accomplishment has drawn admiration from across the sports world, including from NBA legend Michael Jordan (who also once tried switching sports), who recently congratulated Budinger on this extraordinary feat.
The path to the Olympics has not been without challenges. Budinger had to adjust his training regimen, shedding weight, and changing his workout routines to fit the demands of beach volleyball. Unlike basketball, beach volleyball requires athletes to compete in multiple matches in a day, often under varying weather conditions, which demands a different kind of stamina and mental toughness.
While Budinger’s time chasing basketballs on the hard court during the cold Minnesota winter may be over, Minnesotans can tune in to men’s beach volleyball in Paris and watch him try to reach his Olympic dream on the beach volleyball courts that have the dream backdrop of the Eiffel tower looming behind them.
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