Earlier this week, Former NBA guard Ben McLemore was arrested on charges of first-degree rape and other sex crimes. McLemore is alleged to have committed the crime on October 3, 2021, when he was a member of the Portland Trail Blazers, and the 31-year-old has now released a statement in which he has denied the accusations.
“The charges I was handed in court yesterday appear to allege that in 2021, I had sex with a woman who was too intoxicated to consent,” McLemore stated. “I am not accused of using physical force to rape someone. Rather, I am accused of engaging in sexual activity with someone who now claims she did not consent. I did not rape this woman. I am not sexually abusive. I have never pursued a sexual relationship when I understood the woman was not interested in me and acting willingly.”
McLemore claimed he and his attorneys have cooperated fully with the investigation and met every request. He is confident that his name will be cleared.
“The truth will come to light. I am confident we will prevail, and my name will be cleared,” McLemore added. “Thank you all for your support. I appreciate all of you and am confident this will turn out as it should.”
This does appear to be a case of he said, she said. McLemore has not denied that they slept together but made it clear that everything was consensual. This incident took place in a wealthy Lake Oswego neighborhood, and the woman had filed the report on the same day she claimed she was assaulted.
As per authorities, this long delay was caused by McLemore’s departure from Oregon. After playing for the Trail Blazers during the 2021-22 season, the guard went overseas. He played in China and Greece, and then most recently in Spain for Rio Breogan.
Detectives continued to gather evidence in the meantime, and to go with first-degree rape, McLemore has also been charged with first-degree unlawful sexual penetration and two counts of second-degree sexual abuse. All we can hope is that justice is served eventually.
McLemore had been booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center 4 on Wednesday following his arrest, before being moved to Clackamas County Jail. His bail was set at $500,000, and McLemore posted the necessary $50,000 to be released.
Ben McLemore’s NBA Career
After an impressive freshman season at Kansas, McLemore was selected with the seventh pick in the 2013 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings. He didn’t quite live up to expectations, however, and became an unrestricted free agent in 2017.
McLemore then signed a multi-year deal with the Memphis Grizzlies, who would trade him back to the Kings in 2018. A year later, he was waived by the team after which he signed with the Houston Rockets.
McLemore would spend a season and a half with the Rockets, who waived him in April 2021. The Los Angeles Lakers would sign him a few days later, but he was back on the market that offseason.
It was then that McLemore signed with the Trail Blazers and spent a season with them. It seems very likely that it was his last in the NBA, and he has finished his career in the league with averages of 9.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game.
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