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 | |
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Position | Shooting guard |
League | NBA |
Personal information | |
Born | (2000-09-18) September 18, 2000 (age 22) Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
Listed weight | 190 lb (86 kg) |
Career information | |
High school |
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College | UConn (2019–2021) |
NBA draft | 2021 / Round: 1 / Pick: 11th overall |
Selected by the Charlotte Hornets | |
Playing career | 2021–present |
Career history | |
2021–present | Charlotte Hornets |
2021–2022 | →Greensboro Swarm |
Career highlights and awards | |
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Stats ![]() | |
Stats ![]() | |
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]
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 | |
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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:
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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]
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, 2021, in a 133-115 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, scoring two free throws on four minutes.[22] On December 10, 2021, Bouknight scored a career-high 24 points in a 124-123 win over the Sacramento Kings.[23]
Prior to the 2022-23 NBA season, Bouknight changed his jersey number from No. 5 to No. 2.[24]
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 AM. 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]
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 |
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2021–22 | Charlotte | 31 | 0 | 9.8 | .348 | .347 | .871 | 1.7 | .8 | .2 | .0 | 4.6 |
Career | 31 | 0 | 9.8 | .348 | .347 | .871 | 1.7 | .8 | .2 | .0 | 4.6 |
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019–20 | UConn | 28 | 16 | 25.9 | .462 | .347 | .822 | 4.1 | 1.3 | .8 | .2 | 13.0 |
2020–21 | UConn | 15 | 14 | 31.7 | .447 | .293 | .778 | 5.7 | 1.8 | 1.1 | .3 | 18.7 |
Career | 43 | 30 | 27.9 | .456 | .320 | .802 | 4.7 | 1.5 | .9 | .2 | 15.0 |
Charlotte Hornets roster | |
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