Former NBA player Ben McLemore was sentenced to more than eight years in prison on Wednesday following last week’s rape conviction.
McLemore, 32, was sentenced to 100 months behind bars after being found guilty of the rape, sexual abuse and unlawful sexual penetration of a 21-year-old woman at a party in Oregon nearly four years ago. The party was being held at the Lake Oswego home of his then-Portland Trail Blazers teammate Robert Covington.
During the trial at Clackamas County Circuit Court, the woman testified that she was incapacitated due to alcohol and was unable to consent after passing out on a couch, according to Portland TV station KGW. McLemore testified that he too was drinking, but that the sex had been consensual.
“No amount of money could ever undo the damage he caused, and it wasn’t compensation I was seeking — it was justice,” the woman told the station.
“Many people are often afraid to report this type of conduct for a number of reasons,” Clackamas County First Assistant District Attorney Scott Healy said in a statement on Wednesday. “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.”
McLemore played nine seasons in the NBA with the Sacramento Kings, Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers and the Trail Blazers. He has also played professionally in a number of leagues overseas.