History of Chase Budinger in Timeline

Chase Budinger is an American athlete known for both indoor and beach volleyball. He played professional basketball, getting drafted by the Detroit Pistons in 2009 after a successful college career at the University of Arizona. He later transitioned to beach volleyball, even representing the US in the Olympics.

May 22, 1988: Birth of Chase Budinger

Chase Andrew Budinger was born on May 22, 1988.

2006: High School Success in Basketball and Volleyball

In 2006, Chase Budinger led La Costa Canyon High School to the CIF San Diego Section title in basketball. In volleyball, he led his school to three state championships and was named National Player of the Year as a senior.

2006: Top Recruit and McDonald's All-American Game Co-MVP

In 2006, Chase Budinger was a five-star recruit and ranked among the top players in the nation. He was named Co-MVP of the McDonald's All-American Game alongside Kevin Durant.

2006: McDonald's All-American Honors

In 2006, Chase Budinger was named a McDonald's All-American and was the runner-up in the McDonald's All-American Slam Dunk Contest.

2008: Declared for the NBA Draft

Following the 2008-2009 season, Chase Budinger declared for the NBA draft for a second time, ending his college eligibility under the NCAA rules at the time.

2009: NBA Debut and Summer League Performance

Chase Budinger joined the Houston Rockets' Summer League team in 2009, averaging 17.8 points per game. He made his NBA debut in the season opener, scoring 6 points with one rebound.

2009: Drafted into the NBA

In 2009, Chase Budinger was selected by the Detroit Pistons with the 44th overall pick in the NBA draft. He was then traded to the Houston Rockets on draft night.

March 30, 2010: Notable Performance Against the Washington Wizards

On March 30, 2010, Chase Budinger scored 24 points in a Rockets home win against the Washington Wizards.

February 23, 2011: Career-High 30 Points Against the Cleveland Cavaliers

Chase Budinger achieved a new career-high score of 30 points on February 23, 2011, during a game where the Rockets defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers.

2011: NBA Lockout and Agreement with PBC Lokomotiv-Kuban

During the 2011 NBA lockout, Chase Budinger agreed to play for the Russian team PBC Lokomotiv-Kuban. The agreement fell through when the lockout ended.

June 25, 2012: Trade to the Minnesota Timberwolves

Chase Budinger was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves on June 25, 2012, along with the rights to Lior Eliyahu, in exchange for the eighteenth pick in the 2012 NBA draft.

2012: Participation in the Slam Dunk Contest

Chase Budinger competed in the 2012 Slam Dunk Contest, performing various dunks, including one over P. Diddy. He finished as the runner-up to Jeremy Evans.

July 12, 2015: Traded to the Indiana Pacers

On July 12, 2015, Chase Budinger was traded to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Damjan Rudež.

March 5, 2016: Waived by the Indiana Pacers

The Indiana Pacers waived Chase Budinger on March 5, 2016.

March 8, 2016: Signed with the Phoenix Suns

Chase Budinger signed with the Phoenix Suns on March 8, 2016.

September 26, 2016: Signed with the Brooklyn Nets

Chase Budinger signed with the Brooklyn Nets on September 26, 2016, but was waived on October 18 after appearing in four preseason games.

October 27, 2016: Signed with Baskonia

Chase Budinger signed with Baskonia on October 27, 2016. He averaged 6.8 points and 3.8 rebounds per game over 29 EuroLeague games.

2016: NCAA Rule Change Regarding NBA Draft Eligibility

In 2016, the NCAA revised its rules to allow players to enter and withdraw from the NBA draft multiple times without losing college eligibility.

2017: Retirement from Basketball and Transition to Beach Volleyball

In 2017, Chase Budinger retired from basketball to pursue professional beach volleyball.

2018: AVP Debut

Chase Budinger made his debut on the AVP tour in 2018 with Sean Rosenthal.

2019: Partnership with Casey Patterson

In 2019, Chase Budinger partnered with Casey Patterson for beach volleyball.

June 5, 2024: Olympic Qualification

Chase Budinger and his beach volleyball partner, Miles Evans, qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, France, on June 5, 2024. This will make Budinger the first person to play a regular-season game in the NBA and compete in an Olympic beach volleyball match.