Oregon's #4 Bryce Taylor, who scored Oregon's game high 18 points, can't look at Arizona's Chase Budinger after Budinger tied the game at 66 in the second half at McArthur Court Feb. 10, 2007.

 David Sanders / Arizona Daily Star

Chase Budinger walked away from his basketball career after a seven-year NBA career in 2018 and decided to pursue a professional beach volleyball career. 

Fast forward to over a year later, the former Arizona Wildcat took home his first-ever Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) championship and won the Hermosa Beach Open in California Sunday afternoon. Budinger, last year's AVP Rookie of the Year, and his partner Casey Patterson defeated Ryan Doherty and Miles Evans in three sets (25-23, 19-21, 15-7).

Budinger, 31, just wrapped up his fifth event on the 2019 AVP Tour. 

The 2007 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year was drafted in the second round of the 2009 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons and then was traded to Houston. After a brief stint with the Rockets, Budinger played for Minnesota, Indiana and Phoenix before ending his basketball career overseas in 2018. He collected $19 million during his NBA career where he averaged 7.9 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. 

Budinger initially teamed up with Olympian Sean Rosenthal in 2018 and partnered with Patterson in 2019. In high school, Budinger dominated indoor volleyball at La Costa Canyon High School in Encinitas, California. The 6-foot-8-inch outside hitter was named the Mizuno National Player of the Year by Volleyball Magazine in 2006.

Budinger told TMZ in 2018 that his "ultimate goal" is to participate in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, or the 2024 games in Los Angeles.

Budinger's next AVP contest with Patterson will be the Gold Series Manhattan Beach Open from Aug. 16-18. 

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Contact sports content producer Justin Spears at 573-4312 or jspears@tucson.com. On Twitter @justinesports