data-mm-id=”_vaco27ktv”>Chase Budinger played in the McDonald's All-American Game and earned co-MVP honors with Kevin Durant. He starred at the University of Arizona and was drafted 44th overall in the 2009 NBA Draft. He averaged 7.9 points and 3.0 rebounds over seven seasons mostly as a reserve with four teams, most notably with the Houston Rockets.Budinger played his last NBA game in April 2016, and the 6-foot-7 small forward was destined to be a random trivia answer (Who finished second in the 2012 Slam Dunk Contest?) due to a nondescript pro basketball career.The same can't be said about Chase Budinger the beach volleyball player.The California native switched sports after retiring from basketball in 2017, and his ascent in beach volleyball has carried him all the way to the Paris Olympics, where he's pursuing a gold medal with partner Miles Evans.Only beach volleyball enthusiasts knew of Budinger's success in his new sport. The rest of the American sports world, especially basketball fans, were shocked to find the former NBA wing on their screens while tuning in to the Summer Games on Monday.Miles Evans and Chase Budinger are off to a hot start in beach volleyball. 🔥🇺🇸 #ParisOlympics📺: NBC and Peacock pic.twitter.com/PenOlUtQgH— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 29, 2024Volleyball has always been a passion for Budinger. Growing up in Carlsbad, California, he led La Costa Canyon High School to three state volleyball championships and was named National Player of the Year by Volleyball Magazine. He was recruited by top college programs in volleyball and basketball.As the 13th-ranked duo in the world and USA's No. 2 team, Budinger and Evans opened pool play Monday with a victory over France's Youseff Krou and Arnaud Gauthier-Rat. The top two teams in each group will advance to the knockout rounds."When I switched over to beach volleyball, anybody who knows me knows the only goal I had was to reach the Olympics," Budinger told ESPN. "… I wanted to represent USA."In Paris, Budinger has bumped into players he used to face in the NBA. One superstar couldn't hide the shock on his face."It took like a double take for LeBron," Budinger told NBC News. "He's, like, walking by, and I yelled his name, and he kind of looked, and he's like, 'Chase? What?'"Hoops fans had the same reaction Monday.
Related Posts
data-mm-id=”_jf3u7v6z1″>Mookie Betts might be moved this offseason, as the Boston Red Sox attempt to cut payroll. They also have discussed trading the superstar to get something in return for him before he hits free agency in 2021. Betts has slashed .319/.413/.578 with 61 home runs, 160 RBIs, 264 runs and 46 stolen bases over the past two seasons. He's an elite corner outfield target. He's in his final year of arbitration and could make as much as $30 million next year. Obviously there's a lot of interest in the 27-year-old former American League MVP, but the asking price will be high. Still, the Red Sox are already getting bites. The latest updates are below.Dodgers have opened trade talksThe Dodgers have been focused on adding Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lind…
data-mm-id=”_ou2ryryrj”>The Houston Texans opened up free agency by trading DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals. It was a shocking blockbuster deal that had many shaking their heads. Cardinals get: WR DeAndre Hopkins and a 4th-round pick.Texans get: RB David Johnson, a second-round pick and a 2021 fourth-round pick.— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 16, 2020Here's a look at the winners and losers from that massive trade. WinnersKyler MurrayHoo boy, this is going to be fun. The one thing Murray didn't have as a rookie was an elite, go-to No. 1 receiver. Now he's got one of the best in the NFL. Hopkins, Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk will form a really nice trio, giving Murray an excellent group of targets. Murray was the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Y…
data-mm-id=”_e2nq4cude”>Clayton Kershaw exorcised a lot of demons in Game 1 of this year's World Series, but if he truly wants to rewrite the narrative about him being a postseason failure, tonight is his last chance to do so. Five days after striking out eight batters and giving up only two hits and one run in six innings of work to help the Dodgers start off the World Series with an 8-3 win over the Rays, Kershaw takes the mound for the second and likely last time in this World Series with his team now tied 2-2. He could have been pitching to close out the series if the Dodgers didn't blow a ninth-inning lead in Game 4, but as things stand, Kershaw is pitching the most important game in this season, and his career, with the winner one win away from hoisting the Commissioner…
data-mm-id=”_q1ehzgbwp”>The Major League Baseball Players Association has agreed to the league's request that its members report to training camps by July 1. The 2020 season will consist of 60 games and the two sides are currently finalizing the health and safety protocols. But the bottom line is that baseball is back and will be played this season. The Major League Baseball Players Association has agreed to report to training camps by July 1 and play a 60-game season, sources tell ESPN, but deal is not finalized yet. One last health-and-safety hurdle to get over and Major League Baseball will be back a week from tomorrow.— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 23, 2020This has been a long time coming. The two sides have been negotiating a decision on the season for weeks to no avail, …
data-mm-id=”_v5oaineat”>Marcus Smart needs to be stopped. NBA referees need to stop falling for him falling. Smart is a menace to polite society and the league has to do something. They have two choices, tell officials to stop rewarding him for throwing himself on the ground or ban him for life. In case you missed it, here's what Smart and the officials teamed up to do during game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Down 1 with 22 seconds remaining the Celtics were inbounding the basketball. Kemba Walker ran towards a pick set by Smart and pushed Miami's Derrick Jones into Smart who happily dove to the floor while the officials called a foul giving the Celtics a free throw to tie it and the ball for the final shot. Kemba pushes Derrick Jones into the foul lol pic.twitter.com…
data-mm-id=”_o9c6p4e5x”>For about two blessed months, we were free of hearing about how Antonio Brown was supposedly connected to every other team in the league before nothing happened and he stayed unemployed. This blissful period is now ending. Brown's league-mandated suspension for violations of the personal conduct policy is ending after Week 8. Adam Schefter started the fireworks early. He tweeted that the Seattle Seahawks are interested, and unnamed other teams are in the running. With Antonio Brown’s suspension eligible to end after week 8, the Seattle Seahawks are now positioned to make a push to sign him, though they’re not alone, league sources tell ESPN. Other teams also are interested. pic.twitter.com/ykn1NJ6LUm— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 21, 2020It r…
data-mm-id=”_trlqbvu5n”>The New York Knicks lost their championship game last night against the suddenly-hated Brooklyn Nets. ESPN's resident homer got as worked up over the contest as Julius Randle, only his adrenaline manifested in a more humorous way. Here Stephen A. Smith is, going way over-the-top in a mildly believable dramatic performance of a new character he's been workshopping in recent weeks: Guy Who Is Convinced the Knicks Are Back. I'm getting so emotional about my @Knicks right now. I’m just so proud. Hard to put into words ? pic.twitter.com/QYEFnj0bRe— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) March 16, 2021Quite a performance. A shining example of why Smith is the highest-paid person at the network and is constantly being reimagined to create more content. He&…
data-mm-id=”_hngc9e1zb”>March is approaching which means it is almost time for everyone's favorite tournament, March Mammal Madness. Named after, but having no affiliation to, the NCAA basketball tournament, March Mammal Madness was started in 2013 at Arizona State by professor Katie Hinde. While many people make brackets of random things this time of year, March Mammal Madness has stood the test of time and gained quite a following with 15,000 followers on Facebook and nearly 30,000 followers on Twitter. More improtantly, the annual event is used by a ton of eductators. The #2022MMM materials were requested by 7000+ Educators to use March Mammal Madness with their 600,000+ students! Thank you for your patience with our technical difficulties on launch #2023MMM will be better! pic…
data-mm-id=”_wno9iyrf6″>New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh, like a lot of people, uses TikTok. Since it's mid-August and people are desperate for anything NFL-related, this is clearly content. WFAN's "Joe Benigno" pounced on the opportunity to take something extremely innocuous and turn it into a potential international conspiracy on Boomer and Gio this morning, cooking up an absolutely absurd, yet humorous event horizon in which the Chinese somehow gain access to Gang Green's Week 1 playbook against the Buffalo Bills and then share that information with Sean McDermott. WFAN’s @GioWFAN as Joe Beningo finding out Jets coach Robert Saleh scrolls through TikTok is pure perfection. pic.twitter.com/2eVAerFBHZ— Jimmy Traina (@JimmyTraina) August 16, 2023"…
data-mm-id=”_6lze3kfgs”>Rick Santorum was in studio for Newsmax's 2023 Election Night coverage. While breaking down what went wrong for Republicans in some states, Santorum, the former Republican Senator from Pennsylvania, said the quiet part out loud, half-joking that Democracy is no way to run a country while complaining about Ohio's Issue 1 and Issue 2. this Newsmax copium is actually hitting pretty good pic.twitter.com/7UpFEar53Y— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 8, 2023"You put very sexy things like abortion and marijuana on the ballot and a lot of young people come out and vote," explained Santorum. "It was a secret sauce for disaster in Ohio. I don't know what they were thinking, but that's why I… I thank goodness that most of the states in …