Charlotte Hornets’ James Bouknight Arrested On DWI Charge, Was Found Unconscious With Firearm

James Bouknight of the Charlotte Hornets was charged with driving while impaired on Sunday, just days prior to his team’s opening game for the regular season. The 22-year-old Hornets' guard was apprehended by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department around 1:54 a.m.

According to ESPN, Hornets' coach Steve Clifford said they are still gathering information regarding Bouknight’s DWI arrest and refused to comment until the team has more details on what had happened.

Other sources said he was found unconscious in a parking deck in Uptown Charlotte and was found in possession of a Glock 23.

“We are aware of the incident involving James Bouknight and are in the process of gathering additional information. We will have no further comment at this time," a statement posted from the Charlotte Hornets PR team reads.

Bouknight was supposed to appear at a ChikFilA on Woodlawn Rd Monday. It remains unclear if the Hornets guard will travel or play in the team’s Wednesday's regular season opener against the San Antonio Spurs. The 2021 Hornets first-round draft pick practiced with the team on Monday but did not speak with reporters.

Based on previous records, Bouknight, a former Uconn Huskies star player, has had a long history of speeding apprehensions. This includes two previous pending charges on Oct.12 for reckless driving and pushing the pedal to 95mph in a 50 mph zone. Back in February, he was also pulled over for reckless driving. He will face the court for those previous charges in December. Meanwhile, he was given a $2,500 bond for his recent arrest.

Reports on Bougknight’s arrest surfaced on the same day Miles Bridges faced the court in Los Angeles in connection with his arrest in June. Bridges, who is a Hornets restricted free agent, was facing felony domestic violence charges following an altercation with a woman.

TMZ reported that cops responded to a call from a woman who required medical attention due to the extent of her physical injuries. Bridges was no longer at the scene when police arrived but was slapped with felony domestic violence charges with one count of injuring a child’s parent and two counts of child abuse under circumstances or conditions that are deemed to cause great bodily injury or death. LA Sheriff’s Department records state that Bridges was released on a $130,000 bond after turning himself in.