Ex-NBA player Ben McLemore convicted of rape charge

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Following an 11-day trial and about 10 hours of deliberation, an Oregon jury found former NBA guard Ben McLemore guilty on Thursday of raping a woman in 2021.

McLemore, 32, who last played in the NBA in 2022 with the Portland Trail Blazers, was found guilty on one charge of first-degree rape, one charge of first-degree unlawful sexual penetration and one count of second-degree sexual abuse by a jury in Clackamas County. He will be sentenced next Wednesday.

McLemore pled not guilty to those charges along with a fourth charge, an additional count of second-degree sexual abuse.

“We recognize there are those who fear individuals with celebrity status or a position of prominence can avoid prosecution,” Clackamas County District Attorney John Wentworth said in a statement. “Not in Clackamas County. This case demonstrates my office prosecutes criminal acts regardless of the offender’s community status.”

McLemore was identified as a suspect after police investigated a sexual assault report in Lake Oswego, Ore., on Oct. 3, 2021.

The case went before a Clackamas County grand jury in February 2024, when the women who accused McLemore of assault provided testimony. Per Lake Oswego police, the grand jury put out an arrest warrant for McLemore and also issued an indictment against him.

McLemore was arrested by U.S. Marshals in April 2024.

The No. 7 overall pick by the Sacramento Kings in the 2013 draft, McLemore also played with the Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers and the Trail Blazers before heading overseas to continue his career.

In 556 NBA games (268 starts), McLemore averaged 9.0 points and 2.3 rebounds per game.

–Field Level Media