Ben McLemore is Convicted of Sexual Assault in Oregon
A jury in Oregon found former NBA player Ben McLemore guilty on Thursday after he was accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2021 while playing for the Portland Trail Blazers.
After approximately 10 hours of deliberation, which followed an 11-day trial in Clackamas County, the jury found McLemore, 32, who has not played in the NBA since 2022, guilty of one count of first-degree rape, one count of first-degree unlawful sexual penetration, and one count of second-degree sexual abuse.
The jury did not find him guilty of an additional charge of second-degree sexual abuse. McLemore had pleaded not guilty to all four charges.
The sentence is scheduled for Wednesday, July 9 at 9:30 a.m. PT.
The charges stem from a report of sexual assault that occurred in Lake Oswego, Oregon, on October 3, 2021. Police initiated an investigation and McLemore was identified as a suspect.
In February 2024, a Clackamas County grand jury heard evidence in the case, including the testimony of the woman who claimed to have been assaulted by McLemore, and issued an indictment against him, as well as an arrest warrant, according to Lake Oswego police.
U.S. marshals arrested McLemore two months later.
A representative for McLemore did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
McLemore was the seventh pick of the 2013 draft, coming from Kansas, and played for five teams in nine NBA seasons. After playing for the Trail Blazers, McLemore began playing abroad for professional teams in China, Greece, and Spain.
