It was the summer of 2017, and Chase Budinger faced a life-changing decision: retire from professional basketball or take a chance on a new career in professional beach volleyball.
“It was a good, long process of mulling it over,” recalls Chase. “Do I really want to end my career? I could have gone overseas and played or tried to make it on an NBA team. I asked my family and close friends. In my heart, I just thought it was the right time to move on from basketball.”
The two sports don’t necessarily go hand in hand, but for Chase, basketball and volleyball have always been intertwined. During his senior year of high school, he was named National Player of the Year for indoor volleyball by Volleyball Magazine while also earning McDonald’s All-American honors in basketball. He shared co-MVP honors in the McDonald’s All-American Game with future NBA superstar Kevin Durant.
“Always in the back of my mind was that I could play once my career in the NBA was done.”
After three seasons of college basketball at Arizona under Hall of Fame Coach Lute Olson, Chase declared for the 2009 NBA Draft and was selected #44 overall by the Detroit Pistons. From 2009 to 2016, he played for four NBA teams—the Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Indiana Pacers and Phoenix Suns—before spending one season in the EuroLeague with Spanish club Saski Baskonia.
Statistically, his best NBA season came in 2010-2011, when he averaged 9.8 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. He was also selected to participate in the 2012 NBA Slam Dunk Contest.
“Always in the back of my mind was that I could play once my career in the NBA was done,” Chase says of volleyball. “I didn’t see it beyond the AVP and the domestic tour, but playing internationally came later when I knew my body was still healthy and athletic enough.”
When AVP legend Sean Rosenthal learned Chase was contemplating retirement from basketball, he reached out. Sean was searching for a new partner, and the two had already spent several summers playing together for fun while Chase rented a home in Hermosa Beach during NBA offseasons.
Partnering with Sean in his first season proved invaluable. Chase not only learned from the two-time Olympian but also earned direct entry into the main draw of tournaments from the start.
“I think it was the right time for him to make that switch,” says Sean. “A year earlier or a year later, it might not have allowed him to make that run in 2024. It all worked out timing-wise and growth-wise.”
From the start, Sean knew Chase’s size and confidence would be advantageous. He quickly learned too that he was partnered with one of the best setters on the tour. “He just believes in himself,” Sean says. “He has all the athletic tools.”
When Chase began his beach volleyball career, he set two major goals for himself: winning the Manhattan Beach Open and reaching the Olympics. He has now accomplished both. Alongside then-partner Miles Evans, Chase was one of two teams representing the United States in men’s beach volleyball at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. A year later, the pair captured the Manhattan Beach Open title.
“The South Bay is the mecca of beach volleyball. It is one of the places in the world that lives for the sport,” says Chase. “When they have tournaments here, it is jam-packed. You can’t find a seat. They love the sport. They know the sport. I’ve been lucky enough to win both Hermosa and Manhattan, and it was such a cool experience.”
Chase believes much of his success comes from his work ethic and professionalism. He also recognizes the lessons he learned in basketball about taking care of his body and maintaining longevity on the road translated seamlessly to beach volleyball
It was during the Olympics, where he and Miles finished ninth overall, that Chase finally felt he had become the player he always envisioned.
“During my Olympic run, I got in a groove of being a high-level, consistent player. Before that, I was sort of up and down,” he says. “Pretty early on, I felt like I was consistent at a high level. It showed me that I could compete at that level.”
After a successful run with Miles, Chase recently teamed up with fellow AVP standout Trevor Crabb, another highly accomplished player on tour. Chase believes the partnership has the potential to thrive and perhaps even lead them to the next Olympics.
“I want to go to the 2028 Olympics and medal. Now that I know the journey of what it takes to get there, I’m even more eager to do it,” says Chase. “As long as I continue to get better, that is the ultimate goal—especially with it being in Los Angeles.”
