The Californian made enough money from his basketball career to retire in comfort. But he was called back to the sport he loved as a high schooler
When Chase Budinger was named to the US men’s beach volleyball team for the Paris Olympics, it seemed as if the selection panel had gotten its wires crossed.
Budinger – a tall, blond, California cliche (and in case unclear, his is a hard g) – isn’t just any sand-sprinkled leviathan. He’s a 36-year-old NBA retiree. Really, the 6ft 7in swingman wouldn’t look out of place among the motley crew of journeymen who carry the US men’s basketball team through the Olympic qualifiers while the likes of LeBron James and Steph Curry are otherwise occupied. Instead, he’s poised to become the rare human who has logged minutes in the NBA and competed in the Olympics in a sport other than basketball.