Former NBA player Ben McLemore has been convicted of raping a 21-year-old woman during a lake house party with his former Portland Trail Blazers teammates, according to a jury verdict on Thursday.
The Clackamas County jury found McLemore, 32, guilty of rape, unlawful sexual penetration, and one count of sexual abuse. However, he was acquitted of another count of sexual abuse. The sentencing is set for Wednesday.
District Attorney John Wentworth emphasized that McLemore’s celebrity status did not shield him from prosecution, stating, “This case demonstrates my office prosecutes criminal acts regardless of the offender’s community status.”
The charges arise from an incident at a party on October 3, 2021, hosted at the Lake Oswego residence owned by McLemore’s former teammate Robert Covington. Prosecutors argued that the sexual encounter was non-consensual, while McLemore’s defense claimed it was consensual.
The victim testified that she was incapacitated due to heavy drinking and unable to consent. Prosecutors presented evidence, including photos of the woman passed out and testimonies of her freezing in terror during the assault.
McLemore, who also testified during the trial, asserted that the encounter was consensual and that he and the woman did not communicate before or after the act. He left the residence promptly after the incident.
Despite McLemore’s defense team arguing for acquittal based on the circumstances, the prosecution maintained that McLemore was guilty given the surrounding evidence.
The victim clarified that she pursued the criminal case not for financial gain but to seek justice, emphasizing that such actions cannot be excused, especially by someone unfamiliar to her.
McLemore, a former standout at the University of Kansas, was the seventh overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft by the Sacramento Kings. He went on to play for several NBA teams before joining a Turkish team last August after his tenure with the Portland Trail Blazers.
The verdict underscores the importance of accountability regardless of one’s status in society, as McLemore faces the consequences of his actions.
