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Jury Convicts Ex-NBA Guard Ben McLemore on Rape and Assault Charges

The former Trail Blazers player now faces a mandatory minimum eight-year sentence following a jury’s verdict in Clackamas County

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Ben McLemore, a former NBA player, was convicted of rape and sexual assault by a jury in suburban Portland, Oregon
Ben McLemore was convicted in a sexual assault case

Overview

  • A Clackamas County jury found McLemore guilty on one count of first-degree rape, one count of first-degree unlawful sexual penetration and one count of second-degree sexual abuse after an 11-day trial.
  • The charges stem from an October 2021 party at teammate Robert Covington’s Lake Oswego home, where prosecutors say the victim was too intoxicated to consent.
  • The survivor testified that she felt physically locked and believed playing dead might stop the assault.
  • McLemore, who last played in the NBA in 2022, was arrested by U.S. Marshals at Portland Airport after stints playing in China, Greece and Spain.
  • Under Oregon law, he faces at least eight years in prison when he is sentenced on July 9.