Former Top NBA Draft Pick Sentenced To 8-Plus Years In Prison

Former Top NBA Draft Pick Sentenced To 8-Plus Years In Prison originally appeared on The Spun.

At one time Ben McLemore was living the dream: Being a college basketball star, playing in the NBA and plying his trade around the world. But a recent criminal conviction will now see him spend nearly a decade behind bars.

Last week McLemore was found guilty on charges of first-degree rape, first-degree unlawful sexual penetration and one count of second-degree sexual assault by a jury in Clackamas County, Oregon. The jury did not convict on an additional count of second-degree sexual abuse.

Today, McLemore was sentenced to 100 months in state prison. He did not address the court at sentencing and was already wearing a county jail inmate clothing.

Speaking to the media after the sentencing, Clackamas County First Assistant District Attorney Scott Healy praised the victim for coming forward in the case. Healy said he hopes the sentence for McLemore serves as “a reminder that this type of conduct will not be tolerated in our community.”

“Many people are often afraid to report this type of conduct for a number of reasons,” Healy said, via ESPN. “Hopefully the victim’s strength and courage in this case will give others the fortitude to come forward in circumstances where sexual assault has occurred. The sentence the defendant received today should serve as a reminder that this type of conduct will not be tolerated in our community, and that the Clackamas County DA’s Office will always work hard to hold offenders accountable and provide justice to victims.”

McLemore was first arrested back in April of 2024. The charges stemmed from an assault that took place in Lake Oswego at the home of former NBA player Robert Covington in 2021.

A grand jury was assembled in February 2024, which featured testimony from the woman McLemore assaulted. The woman told jurors in her testimony that after passing out from drinking, she woke up to find McLemore penetrating her and ultimately having sex with her without her consent.

“This has been the longest almost four years of my life. I never imagined that reporting this back in 2021 would lead to such an incredibly difficult and long journey,” the woman told the jury. “These last few years have often felt like a weight that I’ve had to drag behind me, a constant reminder of the trauma that I haven’t been able to fully work through because there was no ending in sight. I now understand, on a deep level, why so many victims hesitate or never report what happened to them.”

McLemore played in the NBA for eight years, the first five of which came with the Sacramento Kings after they drafted him No. 7 overall in 2013.

Former Top NBA Draft Pick Sentenced To 8-Plus Years In Prison first appeared on The Spun on Jul 9, 2025

This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jul 9, 2025, where it first appeared.

Former Top NBA Draft Pick Sentenced To 8-Plus Years In Prison

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