Former NBA Player Chase Budinger Wins Opening Beach Volleyball Match at 2024 Olympics

Former NBA player Chase Budinger started his 2024 Olympics off in style, winning his opening beach volleyball match in Pool F with partner Miles Evans on Monday.

The duo beat the French team of Arnaud Gauthier-Rat and Youssef Krou in two sets by a score of 21-14, 21-11.

Budinger, 36, spent seven seasons in the NBA with the Houston Rockets (2009-10 to 2011-12), Minnesota Timberwolves (2012-13 to 2014-15), Indiana Pacers (2015-16) and Phoenix Suns (2015-16), averaging 7.9 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. He also spent a year overseas in Spain.

He was the No. 44 overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft, but injuries cut his basketball career short. He's had a second act in beach volleyball, however.

"It's been such a whirlwind," Budinger told The Ringer's Mirin Fader regarding his switch from basketball to beach volleyball. "It's crazy to think about because the first part of my life was all basketball. And that's where my focus was for so long."

He has a substantial background in volleyball, leading La Costa Canyon High School (California) to three titles in the sport. But he eschewed volleyball for basketball in college, attending the University of Arizona before going pro after three seasons.

Once his professional basketball career ended, however, he linked up with two-time beach volleyball Olympian Sean Rosenthal, who served as a mentor during Budinger's journey to this point.

And now, he's in the same Olympics as a number of NBA players he came up with, including Kevin Durant.

"Basketball is such a brotherhood," Budinger told Fader. "... It definitely gave me some extra motivation to try to make it to the Olympics this year, knowing that KD's playing in the Olympics for his fourth time. And Steph [Curry] [is] playing. And this is LeBron's last time. I can't wait to go watch them and cheer them on."

He'll have his own gold medal to pursue in the process.