Former NBA player Chase Budinger is living the dream as a pro beach volleyball player

The former Slam Dunk Contest participant tells SB Nation how he’s adjusting to using his leaping ability in a totally different way.

Chase Budinger played in the NBA for eight seasons as a role player for teams like the Rockets, Timberwolves, and Pacers. He had a nice career in the league, but ultimately dealt with knee injuries that cut his time short.

His NBA career is highlighted by his ridiculous performance in the 2012 Slam Dunk contest, when he jumped over Diddy, had a nasty windmill, and dedicated a dunk to Cedric Ceballos with a blindfold. At 6’7”, the dude can flat out jump.

So it makes sense why he’s also spent his entire life as a standout beach volleyball player, especially since he’s from California. Starting at a young age, Budinger has played both sports and played them extremely well.

After leaving the NBA and a quick stint in Spain in the EuroLeague, Budinger is now on the AVP Tour for beach volleyball. The AVP Tour is the top U.S. pro beach volleyball league and features the best of the best in the sport. That list includes Budinger as he starts the second professional sports phase of his life.

I caught up with him and talked about the beach, NBA players who love volleyball, and that iconic dunk over Diddy.

---

So how is beach life?

It’s been great. Being able to bike down to practice every day. Practice in sunshine and on the sand ... you really can’t beat it. There are definitely some days I get to practice and I go “Man this is amazing. This is what I get to do on a daily basis.” I’ve been enjoying it a lot.

You’re currently playing on the AVP Tour. How has that been going so far?

It’s been going well. We had a slow start with our first couple tournaments, but we’ve been improving. We had a good finish in New York (Editor’s Note: Budinger and his partner lost in the quarterfinals). In Seattle, we had chances to make it further, but just missed some opportunities (Editor’s Note: They also lost in the quarterfinals of this event, albeit in a 32-team field).

It’s going well. Every event though is really unique and really beautiful. Just enjoying all the places that I’m gonna be playing in. It’s a really cool event and really cool spots that they have these tournaments at.

How is beach volleyball culture different than what you experienced in the NBA?

It’s a lot more relaxed. You kind of go at your own pace. You kind of have to also make up your own schedule. You have to get in touch with other players to practice and go down to the courts. You bring your own balls.

In the NBA, you’re pretty much told what to do. You’re practicing at this time, you’re lifting at this time, you’re shooting at this time. Practice for an hour and after practice you’ve got stretching or extra cardio. That’s the biggest difference.

How are the knees feeling?

The knees are great. Being able to be in sand, there’s not as much wear and tear on your body, especially on the joints. It’s a lot more muscle soreness that you get from playing on the beach compared to the hardwood, where it’s pretty much all joints.

That’s why most players can’t play basketball for that long. Your body breaks down. Volleyball is different. Guys are playing to their 40’s and can play 20-plus years at a high level.

Is playing that long something you’re going try and do?

Yeah, I think so. I’m 30 now. I could probably play for another 10 years. As long as the body holds up.

It’s interesting to me that it’s a lot harder to elevate and move in the sand, but it’s easier on the body at the same time.

Yeah it is. It takes skill and timing to really get used to jumping in sand. It’s pretty funny to see some basketball guys who aren't used to the sand. You get them out there and you try and get these crazy athletes to jump in sand and they don’t know how to jump anymore. It’s really funny to see that.

How does one even figure out how to properly jump in sand?

It’s repetition. Being on sand and getting used to running in it and jumping in it and getting your muscles used to it. It’s a lot of different muscles than basketball.

Are there specific workouts for volleyball that are different than basketball?

Yeah most of my workouts are weight training on the beach. Especially when I first made the transition. I was really trying to get used to the sand. It’s a lot of jump training, and quickness stuff. I was doing all of that in the sand because it takes time to get used to it. Every single thing I did was in the sand.

Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

So when did you first start playing beach volleyball?

I was probably 12 or 13 years old. I grew up in Encinitas. We had this one beach called Moonlight Beach, and they had three beach courts and they always had people playing. Every weekend. Every day. Especially in the summer. So you could go down there and post up and jump in games. That’s how I got started.

You eventually chose basketball over volleyball. Being so good at two sports at such a young age has to make for some tough decisions.

Yeah, it was a tough as a young kid to make such a big decision my life. What helped me make the decision was my relationship with Lute Olsen. He made my decision easier of picking Arizona.

And then once I made that decision, they didn’t have a volleyball program. So then because of that, I kind of put volleyball behind me for the time being, knowing that when I was done with basketball, I could go back to it. There was always the plan of coming back to volleyball. I wanted to see how far basketball could take me and then go back to volleyball.

You made it pretty far in basketball. I think you can call that an accomplishment. I read you never told the NBA you actually retired, but they just assumed you had?

Yeah. Pretty much once you’re a year out, they send you the retirement insurance plan. They just go like ‘Oh here you go. Here’s your insurance’. [Laughs] But yeah, then you start getting all retirement papers. Annuity and everything.

That has to be weird to get stuff like that at what ... 28 or 29 years old?

[Laughs] Um. Yeah.

So how did you get paired up with Sean Rosenthal? He’s a two-time Olympian. He’s extremely good at beach volleyball.

He is. We kind of knew each other once I moved down to Hermosa Beach. We’ve always seen each other around at local tournaments that we play in. We became friends and joked around way back when about partnering up after basketball. Then, this past January, he and his partner split and he was looking to pick up another partner. He called me, and that’s how it started.

And I had seen 2020 or 2024 Olympics are a goal?

Yeah, it’s definitely a goal of mine to play in the Olympics. Ya know, it’s there for for me. As long as I keep getting better and improving my game. I think the 2020 games may be a far shot because we’re so far behind in points. But the qualifying points don’t start until next year, so anything could happen. We could get really hot and jump in some tournaments and start picking up points rapidly.

You never know. It’s a long shot, but we’re gonna try.

How are you feeling about the improvements you’ve been making on this tour?

I feel like I’m improving each tourney. I’m getting more consistent and making less mistakes than when I started. It’s good to see the improvement each and every tournament. Each tournament is a little different and so I go back to practice and focus on what I wasn’t doing as well, and hopefully improve next tournament.

What’s it like playing with just one other player versus four teammates on the basketball court?

Yeah, it’s completely different. You’re involved in every play in volleyball. So you’ve got to be ready for every challenge. In basketball, you can take a little break and stand in the corner. If you’re tired, just kind of recover that way. You can have someone else do the bulk of the scoring. You have a specific role on a 5-man team.

When its 2-on-2, it’s just you and your partner. So you’re involved in every play.

I’ve been wondering: Are there special sunglasses that you have to wear? Because I’m amazed they stay on your face while playing.

Oh yeah, there are. There are special ones that blockers wear versus defenders. As blockers, we have to wear special glasses that won’t break or shatter. Because if you get hit in the face with the ball while blocking and you don’t have the right sunglasses on, you can get major cuts to your eye or to your nose. Big, big cuts. So we do have to wear special sunglasses to not only stay on, but protect your face.

Robert Beck

Are sunglasses the equivalent to playing in the right basketball shoe? Or are there other items?

Probably sunglasses. Maybe board shorts, too. The right type of shorts matter too. Just gotta make sure they can stretch so you can dive for a ball or lunge for a ball. Gotta make sure they don’t rip. That would be embarrassing.

Yes it would. That leads me to my next question: How do you deal with all of that sand? Are you just covered in sand all of the time?

Yes. That is life. You are just always covered in sand. Because you sweat, so then the next time you dive in the sand, the sand is all over. My house is covered in sand. I come from the beach and I walk in and try to go straight to the shower, but it doesn’t matter. The sand is everywhere.

I was hoping you were going to say there was a magic trick to fix the sand.

There is definitely no magic trick. I know some guys will try and shave and that helps make the sand not stick as much. You can wipe it off better. But that’s about it.

Yeah, the fact it’s all over your house squashes the idea there is a way for that to be better for you.

Yeah, not at all.

You mentioned basketball players giving beach volleyball a try earlier. What NBA players like to play?

I’ve got a crew that I play with. Luke Walton and Richard Jefferson love to play. When Blake Griffin was here, he’d play all the time. Steve Nash loves to play. And Sasha Vujacic.

THE MACHINE?!

Yeah! He’s a really decent player. All of these guys live in the area, and once you live in this area, you kind of get attracted to beach volleyball. And once you start playing, you really start to love it.

Other than you, who is the best NBA/beach volleyball player?

Right now I’d say Luke Walton. He’s improved a lot in the last couple of years. He plays in all of the local four-man tournaments. He’s pretty good.

If you’re saying local players get attracted to it, and Luke and Richard Jefferson are playing ... do you think LeBron will play some beach volleyball?

If he gets a house in Manhattan Beach or somewhere like that, yeah he could. I think Luke could get him down to the beach to play. I’d love to see him come down and play volleyball.

What do you think about LeBron joining the Lakers?

It’s an exciting move for the Lakers. It’s going to be tough. The West is so loaded. And especially with Golden State and how unbelievable they are. There have been no changes and those guys love playing with each other. It’s going to be tough to be in the West. But it is LeBron, ya know?

Who is the LeBron of beach volleyball?

Phil Dalhausser. He’s the LeBron. He’s been the best for probably the past 10 years. Not only in the U.S. but in the world. He’s won the gold medal in the Olympics. He’s the best.

Last question: How did you get Diddy to agree to let you jump over him in the Dunk Contest?

It actually wasn’t event me! It was one of the NBA guys that knew Diddy was gonna be there and knew that Diddy likes to be involved. He likes to be part of the show. He gave Diddy a call probably two hours before the dunk contest. He gave him a call and asked him if he’d be interested in this guy jumping over you. And Diddy was all for it. So he came down early and got some practice tosses in and then we went and did it two hours later. It was very last minute in how it all came about.

Well, it’s a great dunk. How can we watch your upcoming tournaments?

Amazon Prime video. They have a live stream that you can watch. This is the first year they have picked up the AVP Tour, so when the tournament is on, you can watch it with Prime Video and watch all the matches. They do a great job of broadcasting and talking about the players.