A judge sentenced Ben McLemore to more than eight years in Oregon state prison Wednesday after the former NBA guard was found guilty of raping and sexually assaulting a 21-year-old woman at a Lake Oswego house party in 2021.
A Clackamas County Circuit Court jury found the 32-year-old McLemore, who hasn’t played in the NBA since 2022, guilty last week on one charge of first-degree rape, one charge of first-degree unlawful sexual penetration and one count of second-degree sexual abuse.
The jury didn’t convict McLemore on an additional count of second-degree sexual abuse. McLemore, who was sentenced to 100 months in state prison Wednesday, pleaded not guilty to all four counts.
McLemore did not address the court and was dressed in a Clackamas County Jail inmate clothing.
during the first half against the Houston Rockets (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images)
“Many people are often afraid to report this type of conduct for a number of reasons,” Clackamas County First Assistant District Attorney Scott Healy said in a statement. “Hopefully the victim’s strength and courage in this case will give others the fortitude to come forward in circumstances where sexual assault has occurred. The sentence the defendant received today should serve as a reminder that this type of conduct will not be tolerated in our community, and that the Clackamas County DA’s Office will always work hard to hold offenders accountable and provide justice to victims.”
The charges stem from a report of sexual assault in Lake Oswego on Oct. 3, 2021, at the home of Robert Covington, one of McLemore’s then-teammates on the Portland Trail Blazers. Police began investigating, and McLemore was identified as a suspect.
McLemore was the seventh pick in the 2013 draft out of Kansas and played for five teams across nine NBA seasons. After playing for the Trail Blazers, McLemore began playing overseas for professional teams in China, Greece and Spain.
