Ex-NBA player Ben McLemore found guilty of raping woman

Former NBA player Ben McLemore has been found guilty of raping a 21-year-old woman during a lake house party attended by many of his then-teammates from the Portland Trail Blazers, according to a recent jury ruling in Clackamas County.

The jury convicted McLemore on charges of rape, unlawful sexual penetration, and one count of sexual abuse. However, he was found not guilty on another count of sexual abuse, as reported by Portland television station KGW.

The incident took place during a party on October 3, 2021, at the Lake Oswego home owned by McLemore’s Trail Blazers 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 after a night of heavy drinking and was unable to give consent. Photos submitted as evidence showed the woman in a vulnerable state, both hovering over a toilet and passed out on a couch.

During the trial, the woman recounted waking up during the assault and feeling frozen in terror. She expressed that she did not know McLemore and felt violated by the encounter.

Witnesses, including Covington, testified to seeing the woman and McLemore together on a couch. McLemore maintained that the encounter was consensual and that he left the home immediately after without having a conversation with the woman.

The prosecution argued that the surrounding circumstances and evidence pointed to McLemore’s guilt, while the defense maintained that in a case of two intoxicated individuals engaging in sexual activity, a verdict of not guilty was warranted.

The victim clarified that she did not pursue legal action against McLemore for monetary gain but rather sought justice for the violation she experienced. She emphasized the importance of holding individuals accountable for their actions, especially when it involves violating someone’s consent.

McLemore, a former standout player at the University of Kansas, was drafted as the seventh overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft by the Sacramento Kings. Throughout his NBA career, he also played for teams such as Memphis, Houston, and the Los Angeles Lakers before joining the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2021-2022 season.

Following his NBA tenure, McLemore continued his basketball career in Europe and China before signing with a team in Turkey in August last year. The sentencing for his recent conviction is scheduled for Wednesday.