Former NBA player Ben McLemore has been sentenced to 100 months in prison following his conviction for raping a 21-year-old woman in Oregon. The Clackamas County Circuit Court jury found McLemore guilty of first-degree rape, first-degree unlawful sexual penetration, and second-degree sexual abuse. However, he was acquitted of an additional charge of second-degree sexual abuse. Throughout the trial, McLemore maintained his innocence, pleading not guilty to all charges and choosing not to address the court during sentencing.

The incident took place in Lake Oswego, Oregon, in October 2021. Authorities identified McLemore as a suspect after the victim reported the assault. During the trial, the victim recounted her experience, stating that she had passed out on a couch after drinking heavily and awoke to find McLemore assaulting her. She bravely shared her story via video statement in court, expressing the emotional toll the ordeal had taken on her life over nearly four years.

Clackamas County First Assistant District Attorney Scott Healy emphasized the importance of the victim’s courage in coming forward. He expressed hope that her actions would inspire others to report similar incidents and highlighted the sentence as a testament to the community’s intolerance for such conduct. The case underscores the challenges victims face in seeking justice and the commitment of law enforcement to hold offenders accountable.

McLemore’s legal team argued that the encounter was consensual, claiming that the victim initiated contact and was sober enough to consent. Despite these claims, the jury sided with the prosecution’s evidence. McLemore, who played nine seasons in the NBA with teams including the Sacramento Kings and Portland Trail Blazers, now faces a significant prison term as his basketball career comes to an abrupt end.