Ex-NBA player Ben McLemore sentenced to over 8 years in prison for rape

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — An Oregon judge on Wednesday sentenced former NBA player Ben McLemore to over eight years in prison, a week after a jury found him guilty of raping a woman at a 2021 party at the home of a then-teammate.

The ex-Portland Trail Blazer was sentenced to 100 months in prison by Clackamas County Circuit Court Judge Michael Wetzel, Portland TV station KGW reported. The jury last week found the 32-year-old guilty of rape, unlawful sexual penetration and one count of sexual abuse. He was found not guilty on another count of sexual abuse.

The charges involved a 21-year-old woman and stemmed from a party at a home owned by then-teammate Robert Covington in the Portland suburb of Lake Oswego.

During the trial, Clackamas County prosecutors described the sexual encounter as rape. The defense argued it was consensual sex.

The woman testified that she was incapacitated due to alcohol, and was unable to consent, KGW reported. McLemore said he had also been drinking but testified that it was consensual.

McLemore, who played college at Kansas, was the seventh pick in the 2013 NBA draft by the Sacramento Kings. He also played for Memphis, Houston and the Los Angeles Lakers before his last NBA season with Portland in 2021-2022.

Since then, he has played professionally overseas in Europe, China and Turkey.