Former Lakers guard arrested on rape charges
Apr 22, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; The Los Angeles Lakers logo at center court during game three of the 2023 NBA playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
A former Los Angeles Lakers player has been arrested this week on some disturbing charges.
KGW News in Portland, Ore. reported on Wednesday that ex-NBA guard Ben McLemore was arrested by U.S. Marshals on Tuesday at the Portland International Airport on an outstanding warrant out of Clackamas County. He was arraigned on Wednesday afternoon and is facing several charges — first-degree rape, first-degree unlawful sexual penetration, and two counts of second-degree sexual abuse.
According to the Lake Oswego Police Department, the charges stem from an incident that allegedly occurred back in Oct. 2021 (when McLemore was a member of the Portland Trail Blazers). A woman reported that she had been sexually assaulted in a Lake Oswego neighborhood and named McLemore as the suspect.
Police launched an investigation into the woman’s claims but encountered delays because McLemore began playing overseas in the following years. In Feb. 2024 though, a Clackamas County grand jury was able to hear evidence in the case and proceeded to issue a secret indictment against McLemore accompanied by an arrest warrant.
You can read the full KGW News report on the situation here.
McLemore, 31, was a lottery pick by the Sacramento Kings in 2013 (No. 7 overall). He played for five different NBA teams, including as a member of the Lakers’ playoff roster in 2020-21, and finished his NBA career with averages of 9.0 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. McLemore also memorably competed in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest in 2014.
After his 2021-22 stint for the Blazers (during which he appeared in 64 games), McLemore played professionally in China, Greece, and Spain. He is still listed as a member of Spain’s Río Breogán, but the team failed to make the Liga ACB playoffs this season (which may explain why McLemore was back in the U.S.).
