PARIS – Cheers, boos and a raucous crowd were all part of everyday life for Chase Budinger during an eight-year career in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

And for the 32 minutes the 36-year-old American was on the pitch at the Eiffel Tower Stadium on July 29, he looked completely at ease as the partisan crowd roared their support for the local favorites.

But inside Budinger was a nervous wreck. It was his Olympic debut, albeit in a different sport: beach volleyball.

“I would compare playing in the Olympics for the first time to my first NBA game,” Budinger said after he and teammate Miles Evan secured a 21-14, 21-11 victory over French duo Arnaud Gauthier-Rat and Youssef Krou.

“You’re incredibly nervous, the crowd is there, you’re shaking, you can’t really think straight, but you just have to try and breathe and enjoy the experience because this is a game you know how to play, so we just had to calm ourselves down and get the job done.”

For Budinger, it was a lifelong dream come true. He remembers having the Olympic rings on a dream board as a child.

He grew up in Encinitas, California and showed talent in both volleyball and basketball, achieving success in both sports at La Costa Canyon High School.

After a career in college basketball at the University of Arizona, he played for the Houston Rockets for three seasons, from 2009 to 2012. He then played for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Indiana Pacers and Phoenix Suns.

In 2016 he left for Spain to play for Club Deportivo Saski-Baskonia in the Euro League, but injuries interrupted his basketball career and he decided to retire from playing on the hardwood court.

But his competitive spirit remained and he thought about a possible return to volleyball – this time on the beach.

In 2017, he started playing beach volleyball in Hermosa, where he competed in four-on-four tournaments. A year later, he made his debut in the Association of Volleyball Professionals.

In 2023, he won the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour title with Evans at the Haikou Challenge in China.

But he initially had doubts about his decision.

Budinger said, “I knew this was the path I wanted to take, but I remember asking myself if this was the right decision when I stepped away from basketball, which is something I’ve done for the last 13 years or however long it was.

“And the question I asked myself was, ‘Am I doing the right thing for myself?’ After three weeks of moping around, I changed my mindset and said, I’m going to do this, I’m going to go all out, my ultimate goal is to make it to the Olympics, work hard every day and work as hard as I can.”

His experience in the NBA has helped his volleyball performance and Evans noted how working with Budinger has changed his game.

Evans, 34, said: “This guy always turns up early to practice. He’s a great role model for me – we have a really good structure, we practice five times a week.

“I used to only train two or three. Ultimately, he brings a lot of his professionalism from the NBA.”

Now Budinger is reaping the rewards of the past six years of hard work and enjoying the experience he gained during the Olympic Games.

He said: “When I changed sports, the most important thing was to get to the Olympics. And I said from day one that this was the ultimate goal.

“It has definitely lived up to expectations, it is absolutely incredible and breathtaking.”