The Budinger-Evans duo won their first game a few meters from the Eiffel Tower. A remarkable journey from someone who played with Luis Scola.
The name Chase Budinger is quite familiar to fans who have followed the NBA for the past decade. He reached the highest competition as one of the great promises of the University of Arizona. He was even the MVP of a McDonald’s All-American where Kevin Durant played.
The 2.01 meter forward is part of the Houston Rockets, where he was a teammate of Luis Scola. He did not fully reach the potential expected at the college stage. However, he has an amazing hand. Capable of scoring triples with ease, he maintained an average 35.2% success rate in the 407 regular season games he played.
After Houston (2009-12), he slowly began his exit from the top competition. He was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves to join Ricky Rubio like other commitments to come. The first year brought injuries that led him to compete in only 23 games. He then renewed with the team, but his role was reduced.
So much so that in the run-up to 2015-16 he had his last year. From Minnesota to Indiana by transfer. He played 49 games for one of the candidates before being cut. He ended up in Phoenix where he played his final 19 games. 6 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in 19 minutes in a game against the Los Angeles Clippers on the night of April 13, 2016, his last in the NBA.
Chase Budinger has always loved volleyball
When the campaign ended, he tried his luck in the Endesa League. He played for Saski Baskonia in 2016-17. He performed (6.8 points and 3.8 rebounds in the Euroleague), but it wasn’t what he wanted. I knew I would never play basketball again. He could be a fairly accomplished role player, but he didn’t enjoy it. He wants a change and a return to the past.
In high school, she played basketball and indoor volleyball. He spent hours on the beaches of Encinitas, California, passing the ball over the net with his brother. This is one of his two passions, as he also excels. UCLA wanted her for volleyball, but she gravitated toward basketball.
He joins Sean Rosenthal, a history of the discipline, to try his luck in beach volleyball. He loved the experience. Rosenthal is not only a great player (champion of a large number of tournaments on the World Tour and Olympic representative in 2008 and 2012), but also an excellent teacher.
The road to Paris 2024
After a great 2018 in which he made his debut on the North American circuit, his partner Rosenthal retired at the age of 38. His next partner is another veteran like Casey Patterson, who also recorded the podium in several international tournaments and in Rio 2016. The couple did not last long, with notable successes but with Patterson’s desire to play with an elite like Jake Gibb.
Chase Budinger stands out as an offensive player and he wants someone to complement him before Paris 2024. He wants to make his Olympic presence. He spoke to several players, including Miles Evans. The Santa Barbara native knew he was running behind because he didn’t stand out, but he sent a message to the former Rockets thinking about Olympic qualification. The risk is high, the reward is even greater.
« We trained for a week together and we realized that we were strengthening ourselves. “I feel better than the last two years of my career,” he told the Los Angeles Times. The duo also excelled in tournaments, competing as equals against the best on the circuit.
A title in Haikou (China) and a podium in Chiang Mai (China) marked what was to come. Always among the best 5 duos in medium tournaments and 17th place at the World Championship in Tiaxcala (Mexico). The couple is headed to Paris 2024.
No one could have predicted that Chase Budinger’s Olympic debut would be on the sand instead of the hardwood. It happened this Monday, July 29, 2024, in Paris, at the age of 36. The North American couple defeated the French team formed by Krou and Gathier-Rat 21-14 and 21-11.
He is just one win away from guaranteeing passage to the round of 16. At the same time, the Dutch duo Boermans-De Groot (5th in the world ranking) and the historic Spanish duo of Herrera-Gavira (16th) . The first dream came true and now anything can happen a few meters from the Eiffel Tower.
Source: Tycsports
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