Current:Home > StocksFormer NBA player Chase Budinger's Olympic volleyball dream ends. What about LA '28 at 40? -TradeBridge
Former NBA player Chase Budinger's Olympic volleyball dream ends. What about LA '28 at 40?
View
Date:2025-04-18 05:40:48
Paris — Better than he imagined.
Although his Olympic dream ended Monday, Chase Budinger’s experience at the 2024 Paris Olympics alongside beach volleyball partner Miles Evans exceeded all expectations.
“You can’t replicate the type of memories that we have,” Budinger said following the USA’s Round of 16 loss in two sets (16-21, 14-21) to defending Olympic gold medalists Anders Mol and Christian Soerum of Norway.
The former NBA player said playing in the Olympics will be alongside the list of his favorite basketball memories.
“I think playing in this arena with all the U.S. support that we’ve gotten, it’s really special and really emotional and really just fun,” Budinger said. "My Olympic experience was amazing.”
2024 Olympic medals: Who is leading the medal count? Follow along as we track the medals for every sport.
Get Olympics updates in your texts! Join USA TODAY Sports' WhatsApp Channel
One snapshot he’ll hold onto is from the first match against France, with the home crowd out in full force, creating “an incredible atmosphere.” Playing alongside Evans and enjoying the athletes’ village, knowing everybody there strived for the same goal, are other things he’ll remember.
Evans said he and Budinger had been hyping the Games for a long time. Their time here managed to clear every bar.
“This is by far the coolest thing I’ve ever done in my entire life,” said Evans, who has played volleyball professionally since 2016.
The adrenaline coursing through his body and being unable to hear Budinger despite standing three feet away from one another on the sand are flashbacks he will have.
One of the biggest takeaways, Evans said, is managing his mindset – not becoming too high or too low. Now he has confidence to handle crowds and external factors.
“This is by far the most stressful thing I’ve ever been a part of,” Evans said. “But it’s also the best thing I’ve ever been a part of.”
The pressure of representing the country is more than an average NBA game, Budinger said. “Those nerves definitely kick in when you hear those 'USA' chants,” he said. “Nothing gives you chills and the emotions (more) than hearing those.”
By making the Olympics, Budinger said, he and Evans proved a lot of people wrong. Now he can watch the final rounds of the Olympic basketball tournament that has progressed from Lille, France to Paris.
“And I hope that we can make the 2028 Olympics and see what that’s all about,” Evans said. “But this will always be one of the best memories of my entire life.”
For the 2028 Los Angeles Games, Budinger will be 40.
“I’ll be old as dirt,” he said, adding that he has always said that decision will be based on how his body feels. He’ll take it year-to-year, but in the present, he’s been feeling “great.”
Before Evans and Budinger left Centre Court at Eiffel Tower Stadium for the last time, they paused to soak in the vista.
“We’re not going to see this again,” Evans said to Budinger.
But maybe we’ll see the duo in Los Angeles.
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
veryGood! (1538)
Related
- Meet the volunteers risking their lives to deliver Christmas gifts to children in Haiti
- Kristin Cavallari Claps Back at Criticism Over Her Dating a 24-Year-Old
- Texas firefighters battle flames stoked by strong winds as warnings are issued across the region
- Pennsylvania woman faces life after conviction in New Jersey murders of father, his girlfriend
- Trump suggestion that Egypt, Jordan absorb Palestinians from Gaza draws rejections, confusion
- Immigration ‘parole’ is a well-worn tool for US presidents. It faces a big test in 2024 elections
- This diet swap can cut your carbon footprint and boost longevity
- Texas WR Xavier Worthy breaks John Ross' NFL combine record with 4.21-second 40-yard dash
- Buckingham Palace staff under investigation for 'bar brawl'
- This diet swap can cut your carbon footprint and boost longevity
Ranking
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- Why didn’t Amanda Serrano fight? Jake Paul business partner says hair chemical to blame
- 2024 Masters Tournament: Who will participate at Augusta? How to watch, odds, TV schedule
- Freddie Mercury's London home for sale after being preserved for 30 years: See inside
- Federal Spending Freeze Could Have Widespread Impact on Environment, Emergency Management
- Q&A: Maryland’s First Chief Sustainability Officer Takes on the State’s Climate and Chesapeake Bay Cleanup Goals
- CVS and Walgreens plan to start dispensing abortion pill mifepristone soon
- Caleb Williams is facing colossal expectations. The likely No. 1 NFL draft pick isn't scared.
Recommendation
Appeals court scraps Nasdaq boardroom diversity rules in latest DEI setback
Item believed to be large balloon discovered by fishermen off Alaskan coast
April's total solar eclipse will bring a surreal silence and confuse all sorts of animals
People seeking drug treatment can't take their pets. This Colorado group finds them temporary homes.
NFL Week 15 picks straight up and against spread: Bills, Lions put No. 1 seed hopes on line
2024 Masters Tournament: Who will participate at Augusta? How to watch, odds, TV schedule
Masked shooters kill 4 people and injure 3 at an outdoor party in California, police say
4 new astronauts head to the International Space Station for a 6-month stay