Chase Budinger has secured a spot for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, trading the basketball court for the sand.
The former NBA player qualified for the Games by winning the NORCECA Championships alongside his partner, Trevor Crabb.
Budinger and Crabb earned their Olympic quota place by winning the continental championships for North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. According to reports from the German outlet Bild, the duo defeated Mexican opponents Carlos Andres and Inés Vargas Lares in a three-set final, finishing 17-21, 21-16, 19-17.
The 2028 Games will represent Budinger’s second Olympic appearance in the sport. He previously competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics with his former partner, Miles Evans. That pair reached the round of 16 before being eliminated by the eventual bronze medalists, Norway’s Anders Mol and Christian Sørum.
Before his career in the sand, Budinger was a standout professional basketball player. Standing 2.01 meters tall, he was selected 44th overall in the 2009 NBA draft by the Detroit Pistons before being traded to the Houston Rockets.
During his NBA tenure, he played for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Indiana Pacers, and Phoenix Suns, recording a career-high 30 points in a single game in 2011. He concluded his basketball career in 2017 with the Spanish club Baskonia.
Earlier this year, the pair achieved their highest joint result by winning a silver medal at the Elite 16 tournament in Gstaad, Switzerland, which is classified as a top-tier event on the international beach volleyball circuit.
Budinger transitioned to beach volleyball in 2017 following his retirement from professional basketball. He has since competed at the highest levels of the sport, including an appearance at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The NORCECA Championships serve as the continental qualifying tournament for North and Central America and the Caribbean. Winning the event grants the victors a quota place for the upcoming Olympic Games.