Former University of Kansas and NBA player Ben McLemore has been found guilty of raping a 21-year old woman at a Lake Oswego, Oregon, house party that took place in October 2021, ESPN and KGW8-TV of Portland have reported.
McLemore, 32, was charged with, and found guilty of, one charge of first-degree rape, one charge of first-degree unlawful sexual penetration and one count of second-degree sexual abuse. He was found not guilty of another count of second-degree sexual abuse.
He had previously pleaded not guilty to all four charges.
According to ESPN, the incident occurred when McLemore was a member of the Portland Trail Blazers at the house of then teammate Robert Covington.
Deliberations lasted about 10 hours following an 11-day trial. McLemore was taken into custody following announcement of the verdict. Sentencing is scheduled for July 9, 2025.
“We recognize there are those who fear individuals with celebrity status or a position of prominence can avoid prosecution. Not in Clackamas County. This case demonstrates my office prosecutes criminal acts regardless of the offender’s community status,” Clackamas County District Attorney John Wentworth said in a statement as quoted by ESPN.
A representative for McLemore didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from ESPN.
According to ESPN’s Baxter Holmes, a Clackamas County grand jury in February of 2024 heard evidence in the case, including testimony from the woman who said McLemore assaulted her. An indictment and arrest warrant were issued against McLemore according to police from Lake Oswego. U.S. Marshals arrested McLemore two months later.
According to Holmes, Clackamas County prosecutor Scott Healy said in court the alleged victim “had been drinking heavily, passed out on a living room couch around 2 a.m., then regained partial consciousness the next morning when McLemore sexually penetrated her with his fingers and then began having sex with her.”
ESPN added that “McLemore’s attorneys disputed the victim’s account and claimed she initiated sexual contact and consented to it. They also asserted that the woman was sober enough to consent even though both she and McLemore were intoxicated.”
McLemore, the No. 7 pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, played nine seasons in the NBA (for five teams) after playing a one-and-done season at KU in 2012-13. He also played for teams in China, Greece and Spain.
The Star’s Gary Bedore contributed to this report.