Former NBA Player Chase Budinger, USA Lose to Spain in 2024 Olympic Beach Volleyball

Miles Evans and former NBA player Chase Budinger lost their final match in men's volleyball group play at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris to the Spanish duo of Pablo Herrera and Adrián Gavira on Friday.

The 21-18, 21-11 loss dropped the Americans to third in Pool F with a 1-2 record, but their run in Paris isn't necessarily over yet.

In addition to each of the six group winners and six group runners-up, the top two third-place teams advance to the knockout stage, as do the winners in the "lucky loser" bracket.

Although there are still some group matches to be played, Evans and Budinger are currently among the four teams in line to compete in a lucky loser match.

If Evans and Budinger win their lucky loser match on Saturday, they will advance to the Round of 16.

The 36-year-old Budinger is making his Olympic debut this year, but not in the sport most would have predicted years ago.

After starring as a collegiate basketball player at the University of Arizona, Budinger was selected in the second round of the 2009 NBA draft.

He went on to spend seven seasons in the NBA with the Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Indiana Pacers and Phoenix Suns, averaging 7.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.0 three-pointer made per contest.

After playing professionally in Spain from 2016 to 2017, Budinger decided to retire and pursue volleyball.

It turned out to be a natural fit due to Budinger's height (6'7") and athleticism, which was on display during his basketball career, as he threw down plenty of highlight-reel dunks, and even competed in the 2012 NBA Slam Dunk Contest.

While Budinger quickly rose through the beach volleyball ranks, he ran into a much more experienced and accomplished team on Friday.

Herrera and Gavira are the longest-running team in the Olympic men's beach volleyball field, as they are playing in their fourth consecutive Olympics together.

They have yet to win an Olympic medal as a team, but the 42-year-old Herrera won a silver medal with a different partner at the 2004 Summer Games in Athens.

Budinger and Evans will have to wait and see if they will have an opportunity to advance through the lucky loser bracket, but the other American team of Miles Partain and Andy Benesh has already reached the knockout round by virtue of finishing second in Pool D with a 2-1 record.