This much-decorated multi-sport athlete is on a quest for Olympic Gold.
Chase Budinger played college basketball for the Arizona Wildcats and was then selected by the Detroit Pistons in the second round of the 2009 NBA Draft. While he never suited up for the Pistons, Budinger had a long NBA career (2009-16), playing for the Rockets, Timberwolves, Pacers, and Suns.
Even though most sports fans know him as a basketball player–he made headlines as a basketball player in high school, e.g., Parade All-America, and in college, e.g., first-team All-PAC 10–the record shows he was also an outstanding volleyball player. He led his California high school team to three state championships, and as a senior, Volleyball Magazine named him the National Volleyball Player of the Year.
When Budinger retired from the NBA, he shifted pursuits back to volleyball—not for recreational purposes but as a high-end competitor. Budinger is a professional beach volleyball player who has been playing on the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) tour.
Then, just last week, he qualified to participate in the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris. There, he will make history–the only person to have played in a regular-season NBA game and also to have competed in the Olympics as a beach volleyball player.
What an athlete! Seeking Olympic Gold is his next quest.
