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[Saba Sports News] Justin Spears of the Tucson Star reported that former NBA forward Chase Budinger will compete in this year’s Olympic Games in Paris. Budinger has qualified for the U.S. Olympic beach volleyball team and will head to Paris with his volleyball partner Miles Evans.
The 36-year-old Budinger was a second-round NBA draft pick in 2009 after a three-year college career at the University of Arizona. He played seven NBA seasons for the Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Indiana Pacers, and Phoenix Suns. After a stint with Baskonia in Spain, Budinger retired from pro basketball in 2017 with career averages of 7.9 points and 3.0 rebounds per game.
Since retiring, Budinger has focused on volleyball, which he played alongside basketball in high school. Standing 6-foot-7, he debuted on the AVP tour in 2018 and has steadily improved.
A trip to the Olympics is a significant milestone for Budinger, who once competed in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest. Nearly a decade after his last NBA game, Budinger is now set to represent his country in beach volleyball.