James Bouknight Facing Grim Days Ahead Following Controversial DWI Arrest

James Bouknight has yet to establish himself in the NBA, and it appears the Charlotte Hornets shooting guard will be in for rough sailing.

The 11th overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft was found unconscious inside his car on Sunday morning, October 16, holding a gun with his vehicle in drive according to Charlotte Mecklenburg County Police in a report by ESPN.

Authorities responded to a call of a person passed out inside a vehicle at a Charlotte parking lot that was blocking the traffic way.

Once at the scene, they set up a perimeter and then attempted to wake up the 22-year-old cager for about an hour, using a public address system, blasting airhorns and lights.

When Bouknight came to the scene, police claimed that the Hornets guard refused to comply with their commands and appeared confused at times.

Instead, the 6-foot-4 cager ate inside the vehicle and then crashed into two police cars– further aggravating his situation.

He eventually got out of the car and was detained.

When Bouknight underwent a breathalyzer test, his blood-alcohol content was reportedly 0.14, way above the 0.08 legal limit.

Fortunately for him, he was not charged with possession of a gun since this is permitted under North Carolina law.

Bouknight eventually admitted that he had four tequila shots before he drove home.

He was placed under arrest for DWI since he was in a public area and behind the wheel of a running vehicle.

Efforts were made to reach his manager, Nick Blatchford, for comment proved futile.

For their part, the Hornets said they were aware of the situation but declined to comment on the matter.

Bouknight was handed a $2,500 bond and is set to appear in court on November 10 to answer the DWI charges.

Aside from this, he is also facing charges for three other separate incidents.

He is due in court on November 29 for speeding, reckless driving and wanton disregard, on December 6 for speeding and reckless driving to endanger, and on December 13 for reckless driving and wanton disregard.

During team practice on Tuesday, October 18 Bouknight told reporters that he was sorry about the distraction and says he is trying to learn from the incident.

"I just wanted to apologize for being a distraction before the start of the season for my teammates and what we've got going on," Bouknight stated.

Bouknight played in the season-opening game of the Charlotte Hornets against the San Antonio Spurs for nearly 15 minutes, but he ended his outing without a single point in his ledger.