Charlotte Hornets rookie James Bouknight and head coach James Borrego on Saturday appeared to be involved in a verbal incident with each other during a loss to the Miami Heat.
The incident occurred at the end of the third quarter after the Hornets were outscored 35-8 in the period. Bouknight appeared to get into an argument with Borrego and had to be held back by an assistant coach. He was eventually escorted to the locker room after the incident.
“Obviously, we were a little frustrated, all of us, in the third quarter, early fourth,” Borrego said. “We got a little emotional there and beyond that, I’ll leave it there.”
Dunno what was said but here’s video of the incident between James Bouknight and Hornets HC James Borrego. https://t.co/QiECLLLjPq pic.twitter.com/uyGiYz2JK9
— Doug Branson (@DougBransonLOH) February 6, 2022
Bouknight, who was the 11th pick last year, logged just 14 seconds in the contest to close out the third quarter. He did not play in the fourth quarter and did not return to the bench area following the verbal altercation with Borrego.
The 21-year-old has played sparingly this season with the Hornets, averaging 4.8 points and 1.5 rebounds in 25 appearances. Borrego said he understood the frustration of Bouknight and eluded the incident could have been over playing time.
“He is in a tough spot,” Borrego said. “He obviously wants to play. I get that. I understand that. He’s a kid we believe in, we trust in. We’re going to find more minutes for him, more time.”
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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