Chase Budinger was a professional basketball player and NBA journeyman.
The former basketball player, who spent seven years in NBA with four different teams, now finds itself in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, competing in Olympic Games in an entirely different sport.
Budinger is now a professional beach volleyball player, and alongside his American partner Miles Evans, he hopes to have a great run at the Paris Games.
“It’s awesome, it’s really fun,” Budinger told reporters of his Olympic experience so far. “It’s amazing to have so much support at every game, playing under the Eiffel Tower — that atmosphere is electric.
“I’m just trying to take it all in day by day and really enjoy this whole experience and moment because our journey getting here was such a long and gruesome and tough route.”
Currently, the duo are eliminated but not out of the running in the men’s beach volleyball competition at the Paris Games. A straight-sets loss to Spain on Friday leaves them third in their group and they will now hope to progress as the best third-placed team or via a “repêchage” match.
With high-stakes games ahead of them, the pressure is on and the nerves are high, even for a man who played in one of the biggest sports leagues in the world.
“It adds a little bit more pressure because it’s a smaller tournament,” Budinger said. “There’s only a few games, whereas in the NBA, you have 82-plus games in a full season.
“It’s a great atmosphere here. The crowd is really behind you and screaming, and it’s great but it also gets on your nerves.”
Budinger grew up in California playing both basketball and beach volleyball, but he eventually decided to focus on the former when he started at the University of Arizona.
Drafted by the Detroit Pistons in 2009, he played over 400 NBA games with the Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Indiana Pacers and Phoenix Suns. A brief stint in Spain followed, after which Budinger decided to leave basketball and return to beach volleyball, making his professional debut in 2018.
“It was kind of always the plan for me if my body was healthy after my basketball career to come back to beach volleyball because I knew you could play until your 40s and late 30s,” says Budinger, now 36.
“It’s easier on the body. Of course, I didn’t plan on trying for the Olympics, but since I was able to transition at a younger age than I thought I would, I said, ‘Why not? Let’s do it.’”
He and Evans shared a tough journey just to qualify for the Olympics, playing 11 tournaments around the world in a span of 14 weeks before earning a spot on Team USA. If anything, it has only strengthened their partnership that has worked well since last year. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>
“Chase brings a level of professionalism that I’ve never experienced with any other teammate,” said Evans, 34, “and I think we have a really good system when we play well.”
Both men are competing in the Olympics for the first time, and Budinger is the first person to have played in the NBA and compete in beach volleyball, according to NBC.
The two disciplines may seem light years apart in terms of status, salaries and audiences, but the sporting parallels are clear: both require a unique blend of athleticism, size and hand-eye coordination, while a shared understanding with teammates is also crucial.
At six-foot-seven, it’s perhaps no surprise that Budinger has found a home in both. But he also draws on his NBA playing experience when he’s on the beach volleyball court, especially when it comes to handling pressure.
“I try to use some tricks and breathing techniques and kind of calm the mind as much as I can – use those basketball experiences of playing in big arenas”, dit Budinger. “The breathing techniques is just trying to be as calm as possible because sometimes those can get going, your heart rate gets up, and that’s when your play starts to go down.”
Against Spain, Budinger and Evans were beaten in two tight sets, 21-18, 21-11.
“We played crap, they played well”, a été l’analyse brutale de Budinger du match. “That sums it up right there.”
The Netherlands’ subsequent victory over France means Budinger and Evans will remain in the competition, potentially facing a ‘repêchage’ match on Saturday.
To be in top shape, it can sometimes help to remember the journey they took to get there: on a rectangle of sand at the foot of the Eiffel Tower.
“The hard work that we put in to get here was a lot tougher than just playing in this tournament”, a déclaré Budinger. “Sometimes we forget that when we go into these games.”
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2024-08-02 20:11:21
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