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Police Reveal James Bouknight Was Unconscious And Armed Before DWI Arrest

GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA - OCTOBER 07: James Bouknight #2 of the Charlotte Hornets attempts a shot during the second quarter of the game against the Boston Celtics at Greensboro Coliseum Complex on October 07, 2022 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Local police records show that Charlotte Hornets guard James Bouknight was found unconscious in his car holding a Glock handgun prior to his DWI arrest on Oct. 16. After he woke up, he reportedly hit two police cars.

He returned to practice the next day, released on $2,500 bond.

Details about Bouknight’s arrest come from police and court records out of Mecklenberg County, North Carolina, which report that the Hornets player was found unconscious in his running car before 2 a.m. on Sunday. He was first discovered by security guards who contacted police after noticing the gun in the car.

In addition to the Glock handgun he was holding, Bouknight also had a .40 gun and a bag of Doritos with him. Police tried a number of techniques to wake him up, pounding on the window, flashing light into the car and using their PA system. He woke about an hour after he was discovered and ran into two police cars. He was later found to have a blood-alcohol content of 0.14.

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Because the state of North Carolina does not require citizens to have a permit to carry firearms, the only charge Bouknight faces is for driving while impaired.

His $2,500 bond allows him to play for the team throughout legal proceedings. The Hornets released a statement after the arrest, saying that they were investigating the incident and gathering information.

In an interview at practice, Hornets Head Coach Steve Clifford said that he and the team were prepared to take Bouknight’s legal issues in stride.

“That’s this league. You know what I mean?” Clifford said. “I was told a long time ago that if you want to enjoy coaching, understand that a lot more things go wrong every day than go right. It’s just the kind of job that it is. It’s part of coaching at every level.”

Coming out of the University of Connecticut, Bouknight was highly sought after as a prospect, and the Hornets selected him with the 11th overall pick in the 2021 draft. He didn’t start in his first season and scored 4.6 points per game in 31 appearances.