Image Source: NBA.com
[Saba Sports News] This week, former Los Angeles Lakers player Ben McLemore was arrested on serious charges. According to a report from KGW News in Portland, Oregon, U.S. Marshals apprehended McLemore at Portland International Airport on Tuesday due to an outstanding warrant from Clackamas County. He faced arraignment on Wednesday afternoon, charged with first-degree rape, first-degree unlawful sexual penetration, and two counts of second-degree sexual abuse.
The allegations originate from an October 2021 incident in Lake Oswego, where McLemore, then a member of the Portland Trail Blazers, was accused by a woman of sexual assault. The Lake Oswego Police Department initiated an investigation which was delayed as McLemore went overseas to play. However, in February 2024, a Clackamas County grand jury reviewed the evidence and issued a sealed indictment and arrest warrant.
Ben McLemore, aged 31, was originally drafted seventh overall by the Sacramento Kings in 2013. He has played for five NBA teams, including a stint with the Lakers during their 2020-21 playoff run, and has career averages of 9.0 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. McLemore also participated in the 2014 NBA Slam Dunk Contest.
After playing the 2021-22 season with the Blazers, he went on to play in China, Greece, and Spain. He is currently listed with Spain’s Río Breogán, which did not make the Liga ACB playoffs this season, likely explaining his presence in the U.S.