Chase Budinger

Chase grew up playing both basketball and volleyball until he made the decision to focus on basketball at the University of Arizona. After a successful college career, Chase played in the NBA for seven years playing for the Rockets, Timberwolves, Pacers, and Suns. In 2012 Chase participated in the NBA Dunk Contest- famously jumping over P-Diddy. After the NBA, Chase played one season of professional basketball in Spain and then decided to retire from basketball and focus solely on professional beach volleyball. Chase played his first season on the AVP in 2018 with Sean Rosenthal and was named Rookie of the Year that season. His second season on the tour in 2019 was with Casey Patterson, where Chase won his first AVP title in Hermosa.  In 2018 Chase was named Most Improved Player by the AVP. 

Chase’s wife is the best heckler on the tour; she now cheers him on with their son Beckham. Chase’s favorite memory is getting his first title in Hermosa Beach in front of his friends and family and later walking into Waterman’s on the Hermosa Pier with his skateboard in hand and everyone singing “We are the Champions.”