Former Pacers Forward Earns Championship Title After Olympics Success

The one-time Indiana vet has claimed a fresh title.

Apr 2, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Shoes and socks with Indiana Pacers logos in a game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. The Indiana Pacers won 115-102. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Since taking his basketball and going home, one-time Indiana Pacers forward Chase Budinger has emerged as one of the best players in the world at another sport altogether: beach volleyball.

Per Joseph Zucker of Bleacher Report, the 2024 Olympian's San Diego Smash have claimed the Association of Volleyball Professionals' inaugural league championship, which they achieved by vanquishing the Dallas Dream on Sunday.

When the men's and women's teams found themselves deadlocked following their matchups, the clubs found themselves stumbling into a "Golden Set" tiebreaker. In that setup, the men and women alternated after one team scored eight points. The Smash's tandem of Geena Urango and Toni Rodriguez helped San Diego build an 8-5 advantage before Budinger and his partner, Miles Evans, were swapped in. They managed to survive the Dream's Miles Partain and Andy Benesh and help the club hang on to win.

"It wasn't our day, but it was their day," Budinger said of the women's side. "They played really well today, and they really helped us win this."

Budinger, now 36, was a standout indoor volleyball player while at La Costa Canyon High School in Carlsbad. He led the program to three state titles and was honored as Volleyball Magazine's National Player of the Year during his senior season.

A McDonald's All-American as a hooper in 2005-06, Budinger pivoted his focus to full-time basketball in college, joining the Arizona Wildcats. Across three NCAA, the 6-foot-6 swingman was twice honored as an All-Pac-10 Teamer, and the 2007 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year.

The Houston Rockets selected Budinger with the No. 44 pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. In addition the Indiana Pacers, he also suited up for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns during his seven NBA seasons. Budinger last played pro ball in 2016-17 with Spanish club Saski Baskonia. He averaged 6.8 points and 3.8 boards a night during his lone season with Saski Baskonia across his 29 EuroLeague contests.

Budinger retired from basketball in 2017, pivoting to beach volleyball. He debuted on the AVP tour in 2018, partnering first with Sean Rosenthal. He qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics alongside partner Evans, though they did not medal.

Across 49 games for the 45-37 Pacers as a bench piece (two starts), the oft-hurt Budinger averaged just 4.4 points on .418/.290/.708 shooting splits, 2.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 0.6 steals a night. Led by All-NBA combo forward Paul George, that year's Indiana squad fell to the Eastern Conference Finals-bound Toronto Raptors in a seven-game first round series.

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