James Bouknight
No. 42 – Rip City Remix | |
---|---|
Position | Shooting guard / point guard |
League | NBA G League |
Personal information | |
Born | Brooklyn, New York, U.S. | September 18, 2000
Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
Listed weight | 183 lb (83 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 | |
2021–2024 | Charlotte Hornets |
2021–2023 | →Greensboro Swarm |
2024–present | Rip City Remix |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Stats at NBA.com | |
Stats at Basketball Reference |
James David Bouknight (/ˈbʊknaɪt/ BUUK-nyte;[1] born September 18, 2000) is an American professional basketball player for the Rip City Remix of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the UConn Huskies.
Early life
[edit]Bouknight grew up in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, in New York City.[2] He played baseball for much of his childhood and started playing basketball in middle school.[3] 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).[4] He earned Catholic High School Athletic Association B Division MVP and New York State Sportswriters Association Class B Player of the Year accolades.[5][6]
After the season, Bouknight reclassified down and transferred to MacDuffie School in Granby, Massachusetts to gain more exposure.[7] 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.[3] As a senior, Bouknight earned All-New England Preparatory School Athletic Council AA honors.[8]
Recruiting
[edit]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.[9] Bouknight chose the Huskies over offers from Indiana and VCU, among others.[10]
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: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 86 | ||||||
Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 84 247Sports: 53 ESPN: 69 | ||||||
Sources:
|
College career
[edit]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.[11] 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.[12] One day later, Bouknight was named American Athletic Conference (AAC) Player of the Week.[13] On February 29, he had his first double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds in a 84–63 victory over East Carolina.[14] 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.[15]
At the beginning of his sophomore season, Bouknight was named to the preseason John R. Wooden Award watch list.[16] On December 20, 2020, he scored a career-high 40 points in a 76–74 overtime loss to ninth-ranked Creighton.[17] On January 5, 2021, he suffered an elbow injury against Marquette, and missed eight games after undergoing surgery.[18] 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.[19]
Professional career
[edit]Charlotte Hornets / Greensboro Swarm (2021–2024)
[edit]Bouknight was selected with the 11th pick in the 2021 NBA draft by the Charlotte Hornets.[20] On August 3, 2021, he officially signed with the Hornets.[21] 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.[22] 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.[23] On December 10, Bouknight scored a career-high 24 points in a 124–123 win over the Sacramento Kings.[24]
Prior to the 2022–23 season, Bouknight changed his jersey number from 5 to 2.[25]
On February 8, 2024, Bouknight was waived by the Hornets.[26]
Rip City Remix (2024–present)
[edit]On October 15, 2024, Bouknight signed with the Portland Trail Blazers,[27] but was waived the next day.[28] On October 28, he joined the Rip City Remix.[29]
Personal life
[edit]Legal issues
[edit]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 bag of Doritos, a Glock 23.[30] 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.[31] He was sentenced to a year of probation.[32]
Career statistics
[edit]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
[edit]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 |
2022–23 | Charlotte | 34 | 0 | 15.1 | .358 | .303 | .667 | 2.1 | 1.2 | .4 | .1 | 5.6 |
2023–24 | Charlotte | 14 | 0 | 5.8 | .439 | .433 | .500 | .6 | .4 | .1 | .1 | 3.6 |
Career | 79 | 0 | 11.4 | .363 | .335 | .770 | 1.7 | .9 | .3 | .1 | 4.8 |
College
[edit]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 |
References
[edit]- ^ "2023-24 start of season NBA pronunciation guide". NBA.com (Press release). October 24, 2023. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
- ^ Jacobs, Jeff (November 18, 2018). "Bouknight checks all the right boxes for Hurley, Huskies". Connecticut Post. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
- ^ a b 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 December 6, 2020.
- ^ "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 October 1, 2022.
- ^ "Minnesota Timberwolves vs Charlotte Hornets Nov 26, 2021 Box Scores | NBA.com". NBA.com. Retrieved October 1, 2022.
- ^ "Game Recap: Hornets 124, Kings 123". NBA.com. Retrieved October 1, 2022.
- ^ Callihan, Schuyler. "James Bouknight to Switch Jersey Numbers?". SI.com. Retrieved October 1, 2022.
- ^ "Hornets Waive James Bouknight, Frank Ntilikina And Ish Smith". NBA.com. February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
- ^ "Trail Blazers Sign James Bouknight to Exhibit 10 Contract". NBA.com. October 15, 2024. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
- ^ Portland Trail Blazers [@trailblazers] (October 16, 2024). "The Portland Trail Blazers have waived guard James Bouknight" (Tweet). Retrieved October 18, 2024 – via Twitter.
- ^ Rip City Remix [@ripcityremix] (October 28, 2024). "Your official 2024 Remix training camp roster 🫨💿" (Tweet). Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Twitter.
- ^ "NBA's James Bouknight Arrested For Driving While Impaired". TMZ. October 17, 2022. Retrieved October 18, 2022.
- ^ Cox, Kallie; Boone, Roderick (October 17, 2022). "James Bouknight arrested on impaired driving charge in Charlotte". Charlotte Observer.
- ^ https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/former-hornets-guard-james-bouknight-sentenced-dwi/Y6WSO6JP2VFVFJTGYCYGF6JDPA/