PARIS — Chase Budinger has never forgotten how badly he played in his first NBA game. He'll have only good memories from his Olympic debut.
The former Arizona and professional basketball player and his partner, Miles Evans, beat host France in straight sets on Monday to coast through their opening match of the Paris beach volleyball tournament.
''I really tried to use my basketball experience of playing in front of big crowds to be composed the whole time,'' Budinger said after a 21-14, 21-11 victory. ''But it definitely was not like that inside.''
Budinger spent seven years in the NBA, mostly as a bench player for the Rockets and Timberwolves, before turning to beach volleyball to fulfill an Olympic dream.