Former NBA guard Ben McLemore was sentenced to 100 months in prison Wednesday after being found guilty of raping a 21-year-old woman at a house party in Lake Oswego, Oregon, in 2021.
Clackamas County Circuit Court Judge Michael Wetzel handed down the sentence, which amounts to more than eight years in state prison. The 32-year-old McLemore was convicted on three of four criminal charges following a jury trial that lasted two and a half weeks. The jury found him guilty of first-degree rape, first-degree unlawful sexual penetration, and one count of second-degree sexual abuse. He was acquitted on an additional count of second-degree sexual abuse.
The charges stemmed from an incident that occurred on October 3, 2021, at a party held at the home of Robert Covington, who was McLemore's teammate on the Portland Trail Blazers at the time. The victim testified that she was heavily intoxicated and incapacitated due to alcohol consumption, rendering her unable to consent to sexual activity.
During the trial, Clackamas County prosecutor Scott Healy told jurors that the victim had been drinking heavily and passed out on a living room couch around 2 a.m.. She regained partial consciousness the next morning when McLemore sexually penetrated her with his fingers and then began having sex with her, per The New York Times.
McLemore's defense attorneys disputed the victim's account, arguing that she initiated sexual contact and consented to it. They also claimed the woman was sober enough to provide consent despite both parties being intoxicated. McLemore testified that he had also been drinking but maintained the encounter was consensual.
McLemore was arrested by U.S. Marshals in April 2024 after a Clackamas County grand jury issued an indictment and arrest warrant following testimony from the victim. He had pleaded not guilty to all four charges and did not address the court during his sentencing.
The former Kansas standout was selected seventh overall in the 2013 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings. He played nine NBA seasons for five teams, including the Kings, Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, and Portland Trail Blazers. His last NBA season was with Portland in 2021-22. Since leaving the NBA, McLemore has played professionally overseas in China, Greece, Spain, and Turkey.
Originally published on Enstarz
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