James Bouknight
James David Bouknight (/ˈbʊknaɪt/; born September 18, 2000) is an American professional basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the UConn Huskies.
No. 2 – Charlotte Hornets | |
---|---|
Position | Shooting guard / point guard |
League | NBA |
Personal information | |
Born | Brooklyn, New York, U.S. | September 18, 2000
Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
Listed weight | 190 lb (86 kg) |
Career information | |
High school | |
College | UConn (2019–2021) |
NBA draft | 2021: 1st round, 11th overall pick |
Selected by the Charlotte Hornets | |
Playing career | 2021–present |
Career history | |
2021–present | Charlotte Hornets |
2021–2023 | →Greensboro Swarm |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Stats at NBA.com | |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Early life and high school career
Bouknight grew up in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, in New York City.[1] He played baseball for much of his childhood and started playing basketball in middle school.[2] He began his high school career with La Salle Academy in Manhattan, New York. As a junior, Bouknight averaged 17.4 points per game, leading his team to the New York Federation Class B state championship, and was named tournament most valuable player (MVP).[3] He earned Catholic High School Athletic Association B Division MVP and New York State Sportswriters Association Class B Player of the Year accolades.[4][5]
After the season, Bouknight reclassified down and transferred to MacDuffie School in Granby, Massachusetts to gain more exposure.[6] In his reclassified junior season, Bouknight averaged 19.3 points, five rebounds and two assists per game before suffering a season-ending torn meniscus in his left knee. After recovering, he played for the PSA Cardinals alongside Cole Anthony on the Amateur Athletic Union circuit.[2] As a senior, Bouknight earned All-New England Preparatory School Athletic Council AA honors.[7]
Recruiting
Bouknight was a consensus four-star recruit and was considered the 53rd-best player in the 2019 class by 247Sports. On September 18, 2018, before his senior season, he committed to play college basketball for UConn.[8] Bouknight chose the Huskies over offers from Indiana and VCU, among others.[9]
Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
James Bouknight SG |
Brooklyn, NY | MacDuffie School (MA) | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Sep 18, 2018 | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals:![]() ![]() ![]() | ||||||
Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 84 247Sports: 53 ESPN: 69 | ||||||
Sources:
|
College career
On November 7, 2019, Bouknight was suspended for three games by UConn for allegedly fleeing a car crash on September 27. He had been charged with evading responsibility, interfering with a police officer, traveling too fast for conditions and operating a motor vehicle without a license.[10] On February 9, 2020, Bouknight scored a freshman season-high 23 points in a 72–71 overtime win over Cincinnati. He scored 19 points in the second half and overtime and made the two game-sealing free throws.[11] One day later, Bouknight was named American Athletic Conference (AAC) Player of the Week.[12] On February 29, he had his first double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds in a 84–63 victory over East Carolina.[13] As a freshman, he averaged 13 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game and was a Third Team All-AAC and All-Freshman Team selection.[14]
At the beginning of his sophomore season, Bouknight was named to the preseason John R. Wooden Award watch list.[15] On December 20, 2020, he scored a career-high 40 points in a 76–74 overtime loss to ninth-ranked Creighton.[16] On January 5, 2021, he suffered an elbow injury against Marquette, and missed eight games after undergoing surgery.[17] As a sophomore, he averaged 18.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, earning First Team All-Big East honors. On March 31, he declared for the 2021 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility.[18]
Professional career
Charlotte Hornets (2021–present)
Bouknight was selected with the 11th pick in the 2021 NBA draft by the Charlotte Hornets.[19] On August 3, 2021, he officially signed with the Hornets.[20] Bouknight made his NBA debut on October 22, 2021, in a 123–112 victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers, getting only one rebound on a minute of playing time.[21] He scored his first NBA points on November 26, in a 133–115 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, scoring two free throws in four minutes.[22] On December 10, Bouknight scored a career-high 24 points in a 124–123 win over the Sacramento Kings.[23]
Prior to the 2022–23 season, Bouknight changed his jersey number from 5 to 2.[24]
Personal life
Legal issues
On October 16, 2022, Bouknight was arrested by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police for driving while intoxicated at around 1:51 a.m. He was found unconscious in a parking deck around 12:44 a.m. At the time of his arrest, he had a .40-caliber gun, a Glock 23 and a bag of Doritos.[25] His bond was set at $2,500, and he returned to practice the following day. Prior to this incident, he had multiple speeding and reckless driving offenses.[26]
Career statistics
GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
References
- Jacobs, Jeff (November 18, 2018). "Bouknight checks all the right boxes for Hurley, Huskies". Connecticut Post. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
- Amore, Dom (September 14, 2018). "UConn Men Notebook: James Bouknight On Campus This Weekend". Hartford Courant. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
- Furman, Andy (August 7, 2021). "Crown Heights Native James Bouknight Becomes National Name". brooklyneagle.com. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
- Pietrafesa, Dan (March 1, 2017). "Catholic School Leagues Honor Top Basketball Players, Coaches". Catholic New York. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
- "All-state teams in boys B, C and D basketball". New York State Sportswriters Association. April 12, 2017. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
- Cordova, David (September 14, 2018). "James Bouknight: MacDuffie Scholar Improves On Offers & Introduces Division I Schools To His Game". Dave's Joint. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
- "NEPSAC announces All-New England awards". New England Recruiting Report. March 16, 2019. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
- Finkelstein, Adam (September 18, 2018). "Guard James Bouknight commits to UConn". ESPN. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
- "James Bouknight". University of Connecticut Athletics. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
- "UConn's James Bouknight suspended 3 games after car crash". ESPN. Associated Press. November 7, 2019. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
- Amore, Dom (February 10, 2020). "James Bouknight becomes the go-to difference-maker and more takeaways from UConn's win over Cincinnati". Hartford Courant. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
- "Bouknight Named AAC Player Of The Week". University of Connecticut Athletics. February 10, 2020. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
- "Vital scores 27 pts., leads UConn past East Carolina, 84–63". ESPN. Associated Press. February 29, 2020. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
- Amore, Dom (March 10, 2020). "Christian Vital, James Bouknight represent UConn men on all-AAC teams". Hartford Courant. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
- "Bouknight On Watch List For Wooden Award". University of Connecticut Athletics. Retrieved 2020-12-06.
- "Bouknight Explodes for 40, But Huskies Drop Big East Opener In Overtime". University of Connecticut Athletics. December 20, 2020. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
- Amore, Dom (February 16, 2021). "James Bouknight cleared to rejoin UConn men for game against Providence Tuesday". Hartford Courant. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
- Wojnarowski, Adrian (March 31, 2021). "UConn Huskies' James Bouknight entering 2021 NBA draft, will hire agent". ESPN. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
- Reed, Steve (July 30, 2021). "Hornets get Bouknight at No. 11, Jones at No. 19 via Knicks". Associated Press. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
- Wash, Quinton (August 3, 2021). "Charlotte Hornets Sign James Bouknight and Kai Jones". NBA.com. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
- "Charlotte Hornets vs Cleveland Cavaliers Oct 22, 2021 Box Scores | NBA.com". nba.com. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
- "Minnesota Timberwolves vs Charlotte Hornets Nov 26, 2021 Box Scores | NBA.com". nba.com. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
- "Game Recap: Hornets 124, Kings 123". nba.com. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
- Callihan, Schuyler. "James Bouknight to Switch Jersey Numbers?". Sports Illustrated Charlotte Hornets News, Analysis and More. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
- "NBA's James Bouknight Arrested For Driving While Impaired". TMZ. 2022-10-17. Retrieved 2022-10-18.
- Cox, Kallie; Boone, Roderick (October 17, 2022). "James Bouknight arrested on impaired driving charge in Charlotte". Charlotte Observer.