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.

James Bouknight
No. 2 – Charlotte Hornets
PositionShooting guard / point guard
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (2000-09-18) September 18, 2000
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High school
CollegeUConn (2019–2021)
NBA draft2021: 1st round, 11th overall pick
Selected by the Charlotte Hornets
Playing career2021–present
Career history
2021–presentCharlotte Hornets
2021–2023→Greensboro Swarm
Career highlights and awards
  • First-team All-Big East (2021)
  • Third-team All-AAC (2020)
  • AAC All-Freshman Team (2020)
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]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
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:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 86
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 84  247Sports: 53  ESPN: 69
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "UConn 2019 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
  • "2019 UConn Huskies Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
  • "2019 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 21, 2020.

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

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
Legend
  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

NBA
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2021–22 Charlotte 3109.8.348.347.8711.7.8.2.04.6
2022–23 Charlotte 34015.1.358.303.6672.11.2.4.15.6
Career 65012.6.353.316.7701.91.0.3.15.1

College
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2019–20 UConn 281625.9.462.347.8224.11.3.8.213.0
2020–21 UConn 151431.7.447.293.7785.71.81.1.318.7
Career 433027.9.456.320.8024.71.5.9.215.0

References
  1. Jacobs, Jeff (November 18, 2018). "Bouknight checks all the right boxes for Hurley, Huskies". Connecticut Post. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  2. Amore, Dom (September 14, 2018). "UConn Men Notebook: James Bouknight On Campus This Weekend". Hartford Courant. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  3. Furman, Andy (August 7, 2021). "Crown Heights Native James Bouknight Becomes National Name". brooklyneagle.com. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  4. Pietrafesa, Dan (March 1, 2017). "Catholic School Leagues Honor Top Basketball Players, Coaches". Catholic New York. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  5. "All-state teams in boys B, C and D basketball". New York State Sportswriters Association. April 12, 2017. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  6. 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.
  7. "NEPSAC announces All-New England awards". New England Recruiting Report. March 16, 2019. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  8. Finkelstein, Adam (September 18, 2018). "Guard James Bouknight commits to UConn". ESPN. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  9. "James Bouknight". University of Connecticut Athletics. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  10. "UConn's James Bouknight suspended 3 games after car crash". ESPN. Associated Press. November 7, 2019. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  11. 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.
  12. "Bouknight Named AAC Player Of The Week". University of Connecticut Athletics. February 10, 2020. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  13. "Vital scores 27 pts., leads UConn past East Carolina, 84–63". ESPN. Associated Press. February 29, 2020. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  14. Amore, Dom (March 10, 2020). "Christian Vital, James Bouknight represent UConn men on all-AAC teams". Hartford Courant. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  15. "Bouknight On Watch List For Wooden Award". University of Connecticut Athletics. Retrieved 2020-12-06.
  16. "Bouknight Explodes for 40, But Huskies Drop Big East Opener In Overtime". University of Connecticut Athletics. December 20, 2020. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  17. Amore, Dom (February 16, 2021). "James Bouknight cleared to rejoin UConn men for game against Providence Tuesday". Hartford Courant. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  18. Wojnarowski, Adrian (March 31, 2021). "UConn Huskies' James Bouknight entering 2021 NBA draft, will hire agent". ESPN. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  19. Reed, Steve (July 30, 2021). "Hornets get Bouknight at No. 11, Jones at No. 19 via Knicks". Associated Press. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  20. Wash, Quinton (August 3, 2021). "Charlotte Hornets Sign James Bouknight and Kai Jones". NBA.com. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  21. "Charlotte Hornets vs Cleveland Cavaliers Oct 22, 2021 Box Scores | NBA.com". nba.com. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
  22. "Minnesota Timberwolves vs Charlotte Hornets Nov 26, 2021 Box Scores | NBA.com". nba.com. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
  23. "Game Recap: Hornets 124, Kings 123". nba.com. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
  24. Callihan, Schuyler. "James Bouknight to Switch Jersey Numbers?". Sports Illustrated Charlotte Hornets News, Analysis and More. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
  25. "NBA's James Bouknight Arrested For Driving While Impaired". TMZ. 2022-10-17. Retrieved 2022-10-18.
  26. Cox, Kallie; Boone, Roderick (October 17, 2022). "James Bouknight arrested on impaired driving charge in Charlotte". Charlotte Observer.
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