Former Hornets’ player pleads guilty to driving while impaired, sentenced
CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Former Hornets guard James Bouknight pled guilty on Monday to an October 2022 incident of driving while impaired, court records show.
Bouknight was sentenced to 12 months of unsupervised probation and ordered to pay a $100 fine. He will also have 90 days to complete 24 hours worth of community service.
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Around 12:45 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022, near 400 E. Brooklyn Village Ave. in uptown Charlotte, CMPD officers observed a vehicle blocking the road.
The driver, later identified as Bouknight, was found asleep at the wheel with food and a gun in his lap with the vehicle running and in drive, the police report indicated.
Bouknight reportedly woke up an hour after multiple efforts from CMPD including blasting airhorns. At the time, he sat in his car and ate, and then crashed into the police car in front of him and then the one behind him. Bouknight reportedly told the officers he had six shots of tequila before driving home.
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According to Bleacher Report, this was Bouknight’s third driving citation. In November of 2021, he was cited for driving 107 mph in a 65 mph zone in Cabarrus County, leading to charges of speeding and reckless driving. Bouknight also allegedly fled a car accident while he was at the University of Connecticut in 2019, with the police officer saying he smelled like alcohol at the time.
Bouknight, a UConn alum, was drafted by the Hornets in the first round of the 2021 NBA Draft. In 79 games played over the last three years, he averaged 4.8 points per game. The Hornets released Bouknight on February 8, 2024.
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