Phoenix Suns Archives - US Sports News

Former NBA Player Set to Represent United States in Olympic Beach Volleyball

If you thought the United States men's basketball team—Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant and friends—was the only cohort of American NBA players headed to the Paris Olympics, you would be mistaken.

One other ex-NBAer is headed to sports' biggest stage—in beach volleyball.

Chase Budinger, a forward for the Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Indiana Pacers and Suns from 2010-16, has officially qualified for the Paris Games. Budinger and partner Miles Evans punched their ticket Wednesday, with the elimination of Americans Theo Brunner and Trevor Crabb from a qualifying tournament in the Czech Republic.

A blue-chip prospect in both basketball and volleyball out of high school, Budinger chose hoops and played three productive seasons at Arizona. The Detroit Pistons made him the 44th pick of the 2009 NBA draft.

In 2018, he returned to beach volleyball, beginning a successful partnership with Evans in 2023.

Olympic competition in the sport is scheduled to open July 27.

2 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Galveston Fires Back at Charles Barkley With Mysterious Series of Clever Billboards

Galveston, Texas took it on the chin this weekend.

The Gulf of Mexico resort city—minding its own business during the NBA playoffs—suddenly gained notoriety when Hall of Fame forward and TNT analyst Charles Barkley proposed the city as an alternate vacation destination to Cancun for teams after uninspired playoff efforts.

"We're not even gonna send them to Cancun. We're gonna send them to Galveston with that dirty-a-- water," Barkley said after the New Orleans Pelicans lost 106-85 to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3 of the first round Saturday. "Y'all quit. Drive your a-- down to Galveston."

However, Galveston has struck back. Per TMZ, mysterious billboards taking shots at Barkley have sprung up around the city.

Messages include "Hey Charles, our water is cleaner than your golf swing," "Hey Charles, come on down—the water's fine!" and "Hey Charles, you've never turned down any of our great food."

All are signed, "Love, Galveston."

Who would've guessed a feud between a television personality and a city that has produced two NBA players ever—and a city close to one of Barkley's old teams, the Houston Rockets—would rank among the most compelling rivalries of these NBA playoffs?

2 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Charles Barkley Had Blunt Message for ‘Cowards’ on TV Who Rip NBA Coaches

Charles Barkley is never afraid to share his opinion on just about everything, which makes him one of the best analysts, and personalities, on television.

He continued that during Wednesday night's Inside the NBA when he took a minute to bash analysts on other networks who have been taking shots at Los Angeles Lakers coach Darvin Ham and Phoenix Suns coach Frank Vogel after their teams were bounced from the playoffs.

Barkley isn't a fan of the way other people on other sports shows have been talking about Ham and Vogel, and he didn't hold back with his feelings, calling those people "cowards" and "jackasses."

Chuck has something to say when it comes to coaching in the NBA: pic.twitter.com/MnnDZrQr9s
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 2, 2024

Both Ham and Vogel could very well be fired after their poor playoff performances. And it seems like Barkley wouldn't be a fan of either of those moves happening.