Yao Ming's former teammate Battinger will compete in the sand volleyball tournament at the Paris Olympics, setting a precedent for NBA crossovers

Southern Metropolis Daily

2024-06-06 10:49Published on the official account of Guangdong Southern Metropolis Daily

As the opening day of the 2024 Paris Olympics is getting closer and closer, the preparation period for athletes from all over the world has also entered the countdown, and in the middle of this week, former NBA player Chase Badinger and partner Miles Evans stood out in the qualification competition for men's beach volleyball at the United States Olympics and won a ticket to Paris, making the 36-year-old former basketball professional athlete the first player in history to cross from the NBA to the Olympic sand volleyball event.

The 2.01-meter-tall Badinger was once a teammate of Chinese star Yao Ming in the NBA, so he was well known by domestic fans. The college athlete has actually excelled in basketball and volleyball since he was a child, winning national awards in both sports. However, Battinger's initial career choice was basketball, and he was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the second round of the NBA Draft in 2009 and spent a total of seven years with the Rockets, Timberwolves, Pacers and Suns.

After leaving the NBA, Badinger briefly played in European basketball, but a season later he switched to beach volleyball in 2018 and became a professional sand volleyball player, where he quickly made a difference. He and his partner are currently ranked 13th in the latest FIVB World Rankings and are the No. 2 man on Team USA, behind world No. 5 Miles Patan and Andy Benesh.

"Most people, when they end up in a sport, are a little bit confused, or they're a little bit lost about the next journey," Badinger said, "and I'm lucky enough to be able to transition to a different sport right away and play at the highest level." ”

In doing so, Battinger also became the first athlete in NBA history to cross over to the Olympic sand volleyball event. Keith Eriksen, a former Lakers legend and 1972 NBA champion, played indoor volleyball and competed in the Tokyo Olympics 60 years ago before entering the NBA.

View original image 449K

•