Former Sacramento Kings guard Ben McLemore arrested, accused of first-degree rape

Lake Oswego police said that the sexual assault happened in early October 2021, while McLemore was with the Blazers. A grand jury chose to indict him in February.

OREGON CITY, Ore. — Former NBA player Ben McLemore, who played 64 games with the Portland Trail Blazers two seasons ago, was arrested at the Portland airport on Tuesday on accusations of first-degree rape and other sex crimes.

The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office said McLemore was arrested Tuesday morning on an outstanding warrant out of Clackamas County and booked into the Clackamas County Jail.

McLemore, 31, was arraigned Wednesday afternoon in Clackamas County Circuit Court. He faces charges of first-degree rape, first-degree unlawful sexual penetration and two counts of second-degree sexual abuse.

According to a statement from the Lake Oswego Police Department, the assault happened on Oct. 3, 2021, while McLemore was with the Trail Blazers. A woman came forward to report that she’d been sexually assaulted at a home in a wealthy Lake Oswego neighborhood, identifying McLemore as the suspect. She reported the crime the same day.

Police said that they collected evidence and connected the survivor with a victim’s advocate, and detectives launched a lengthy investigation. During that time, McLemore moved out of state and began traveling frequently overseas as he played basketball in other countries, which police said resulted in “delays in the investigation.”

A Clackamas County grand jury heard evidence in the case in February of this year, including testimony from the survivor, and issued a secret indictment against McLemore, accompanied by an arrest warrant. U.S. Marshals arrested McLemore at the Portland International Airport on Tuesday.

“We applaud the courage of the survivor to come forward and put herself through this arduous process, and we will continue to support her in any way we can,” police said.

McLemore played nine seasons in the NBA, averaging 9.0 points per game in 556 games over his NBA career.

The Sacramento Kings selected McLemore with the seventh overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft out of Kansas. He ended up playing for five different teams: the Kings, Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, and the Blazers in his final NBA season. 

During the 2021–2022 season, McLemore played 64 games for the Blazers, averaging 10.2 points in 20.1 minutes per game. 

After the 2021-22 season, McLemore played professional basketball overseas, signing contracts with teams in China, Greece and Spain, most recently, with Río Breogán of Liga ACB in Spain.

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About the Author

Yosi Yahoudai is a founder and the managing partner of J&Y. His practice is comprised primarily of cases involving automobile and motorcycle accidents, but he also represents people in premises liability lawsuits, including suits alleging dangerous conditions of public property, third-party criminal conduct, and intentional torts. He also has expertise in cases involving product defects, dog bites, elder abuse, and sexual assault. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of California and is admitted to practice in all California State Courts, and the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. If you have any questions about this article, you can contact Yosi by clicking here.

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