You may remember Chase Budinger from his seven-year NBA career or his only appearance in the Slam Dunk Contest.
Where is he now? Getting ready to represent the United States at the Paris Olympics… for beach volleyball.
After seven seasons in the NBA, Budinger played one year in Spain’s Liga ACB before hanging up his shoes. He retired from professional basketball in 2017 to pursue a career in beach volleyball.
How did Budinger go from the NBA to the US Olympic beach volleyball team? The Jugo Mobile breaks down his path below.
Chase Budinger’s path from the NBA to professional volleyball
Budinger’s jump from the NBA to volleyball shouldn’t be too surprising.
The 36-year-old was once a volleyball superstar at La Costa Canyon High School in Carlsbad, California. He led his team to three state championships and was named National Player of the Year as a senior by Volleyball magazine.
Budinger went on to play basketball at the University of Arizona and enjoyed an eight-year professional career between the NBA and overseas. He retired from basketball in 2017 to pursue a career in professional beach volleyball.
With his nod for the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympics, it’s safe to say he fulfilled that dream.
Budinger has been playing on the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) tour since 2018. He was AVP Rookie of the Year and Most Improved Player of the Year in 2018. He earned his first AVP title in 2019.
At 6-7 with a reported vertical of 47 inches – which showed in the 2012 NBA dunk contest — it’s easy to believe that Budinger made the switch from basketball to beach volleyball look pretty easy.
Chase Budinger’s NBA career
Budinger was a star at the University of Arizona, earning two All-Pac-10 honors and the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year award. He averaged 17.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game over his three-year career while shooting 38.3 percent from 3-point range.
His size (6-7), great athleticism and promising jump shot led the Pistons to select him in the second round (No. 44 overall) in the 2009 NBA Draft.
After being traded to the Rockets on draft night, Budinger spent the first three seasons of his NBA career in Houston. He was an every-game rotation player for the Rockets from 2009 to 2012, then was traded to the Timberwolves in the 2012 offseason for a first-round pick.
Budinger played three seasons with Minnesota from 2012 to 2015, but his playing time was not as consistent as it was in Houston. He was traded to the Pacers in the 2015 offseason and was waived by Indiana midway through the 2015-16 season.
After that, Budinger recovered. He got a deal with the Suns for the remainder of the 2015-16 season and then signed with the Nets in the 2016 offseason. When he didn’t make the Nets roster for the 2016-17 season, he decided to take his talent abroad.
Budinger played one season for Baskonia of Spain’s Liga ACB in 2016-17, then retired from basketball to pursue professional volleyball.
Chase Budinger NBA statistics
Budinger averaged 7.9 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 407 career NBA games. You can find his stats from his seven-year career below.
| Year | Equipment | GP | MPG | role playing game | APG | PPG |
| 2009-10 | hou | 74 | 20.1 | 3.0 | 1.2 | 8.9 |
| 2010-11 | hou | 78 | 22.3 | 3.6 | 1.6 | 9.8 |
| 2011-12 | hou | 58 | 22.4 | 3.7 | 1.3 | 9.6 |
| 2012-13 | MINIMUM | 23 | 22.1 | 3.1 | 1.1 | 9.4 |
| 2013-14 | MINIMUM | 41 | 18.3 | 2.5 | 0.8 | 6.7 |
| 2014-15 | MINIMUM | 67 | 19.2 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 6.8 |
| 2015-16 | IND/FO | 66 | 14.1 | 23 | 1.0 | 4.1 |
