LOS ANGELES -- Chase Budinger’s athletic career doesn’t fit in a box. He played seven seasons in the NBA with the Rockets, Timberwolves, Pacers and Suns. Then he switched sports entirely, grinding his way onto the U.S. Olympic beach volleyball team, making him the first person to appear in both an NBA regular season game and the Olympic beach volleyball competition.
Now fresh off the Paris Games, Budinger is back with partner Miles Evans for the AVP League’s Intuit Dome event in Inglewood July 11–12, representing the San Diego Smash. He sat down with The Sporting Tribune to talk about his path, what sets these AVP League matches apart, and the new team format.
The Sporting Tribune: You just made history as the first person to compete in both the NBA and the Olympics in beach volleyball. Now that you’ve done it, what does that milestone mean to you personally?
Chase Budinger: It means the world to me because I put so much hard work and time into both sports. For me to grow old and tell my kids I played in the NBA and also became an Olympian, those are two of the biggest accomplishments of my life. It wasn't easy. There was a lot of grueling work and growing pains, especially switching to a new sport and getting my butt kicked at first. Learning from that and building the confidence to become an Olympian was really satisfying for me.
TST: What first drew you to beach volleyball after your NBA career? When did it shift from being a hobby to something you knew you could pursue at the highest level?
CB: The plan was always to play beach volleyball once my basketball career was done, since basketball careers usually don’t last super long. And beach volleyball is something you can play into your 40s, most of the top U.S. players are in their late 30s or early 40s. I thought I’d have a longer basketball career, but when that ended sooner than I wanted, I had time to really go for it. I made it a goal to become an Olympian instead of just playing for fun.
TST: How did your background as a professional basketball player help you, or challenge you, when you switched to elite beach volleyball?
CB: It helped a lot. In basketball your days are so structured with training, practice, lifting, recovery. That routine was something I carried over. One thing I noticed in beach volleyball is people fall in love with the lifestyle, you go to the beach, practice for two hours, then you’re done. I really tried to approach it like a career. I wanted to help my partners see that too. If you want to compete with the best in the world, you have to do more than just show up for a couple hours.
TST: Looking back, from NCAA basketball to the NBA to the Olympic sand, could you have pictured this path? What advice would you give young athletes about staying open to change?
CB: I never envisioned this route at all. I thought I’d play beach volleyball for fun on the AVP, but fully embracing it professionally and representing the country wasn’t something I saw coming. The advice I’d give is: try multiple sports. These days kids get pushed into specializing in one sport too soon. For me, basketball and volleyball actually helped each other. Playing multiple sports made me better overall, and that’s something I think is missing for a lot of kids now.
TST: The AVP League is bringing 300 tons of sand into the Intuit Dome for this event. For fans who’ve never seen an AVP League match before, what can they expect?
CB: It’s the best of the best teams going at it. The level is really high and the games are super fast-paced because they’re played to 15 instead of 21. You have to come out aggressive right away with your serves and try to create points because things can slip away so quickly. Being indoors in an arena, with the lights, the crowd, the MC, Mark Schuermann is one of the best, it’s really a show. I’ve never been to Intuit Dome before so I’m excited to see what it’s like to play beach volleyball there.
TST: You’re playing for San Diego Smash in the AVP League. How has representing a city as part of a team changed the feel of competition?
CB: I love it. Representing a city gives you that team atmosphere you don’t usually get in beach volleyball since it’s usually just two-on-two. Here you have a full team, including the women’s side, so you’re cheering for each other and invested in each other’s success. It brings that camaraderie that I really enjoy.
TST: The AVP League format is faster-paced, with best-of-three sets to 15 points. How does that change your strategy?
CB: You have to be really aggressive with your serving. Most matches come down to one or two points, and those usually come from blocks, aces, or big digs. If you can get teams out of system or snag those aces, that’s huge. That’s something I’ve really focused on in the last year and a half, just how important the serve is in these quick games.
TST: Coming off the Olympics, how does playing a big event like this at Intuit Dome help you stay sharp and motivated for what’s next?
CB: After playing in the Olympics in front of 15,000 or 20,000 people under the Eiffel Tower, I don’t think anything is going to rattle me anymore. Those games were such high-stakes and nerve-wracking. That experience taught me to be calmer, to play more freely, and to be really mindful of my thoughts and my body. It made me a better player overall.
As Budinger gears up for the AVP League event at Intuit Dome, he’s bringing Olympic-tested poise and an NBA-level work ethic to the sand. Fans can expect fast-paced, high-stakes volleyball, with Budinger and the San Diego Smash ready to showcase their skills.