Report: Charges dropped against Hornets' Hairston

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Durham County's district attorney has dropped misdemeanor assault charges against Charlotte Hornets rookie P.J. Hairston.

The Herald-Sun of Durham reports (http://bit.ly/1qGsXw6 ) District Attorney Roger Echols said Thursday that he dropped the charges of simple assault and battery at the request of high school student Kentrell Barkley.

Barkley had said Hairston punched him in the face during a pickup basketball game at the Durham YMCA in July.

Hairston was a first-round draft pick by the Hornets earlier this year. He was North Carolina's leading scorer as a sophomore in 2013 but did not play last year, missing the first 10 games while the school worked to resolve eligibility questions for receiving improper benefits. His college career ended last December when the school chose not to seek reinstatement from the NCAA.