Former Kings player Ben McLemore arrested in Oregon on suspicion of rape, authorities say

Former Kings player Ben McLemore was arrested on suspicion of rape and other sex crimes by a U.S. Marshals Service-led fugitive task force Tuesday at Portland International Airport, federal and Oregon authorities said.

McLemore, a guard who ended his NBA career in 2022 with the Portland Trail Blazers, had just landed at noon when law enforcement authorities arrived at the airport to carry out their arrest, Pete Cajigal, a spokesman for the Marshals Service, wrote in an email.

The case originated from Lake Oswego in Clackamas County, Oregon, said Brian McCall, a spokesman for the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office. He directed inquiries to the Lake Oswego Police Department, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

McLemore, 31, was booked on suspicion of rape, unlawful sexual penetration and two counts of sexual abuse, according to Clackamas County jail logs.

The Marshals Service said McLemore was arrested by law enforcement agencies with its Northwest Violent Offender Task Force, which includes the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office. It specializes in arresting violent fugitives, according to its website.

McLemore is scheduled to appear for his arraignment Wednesday in Clackamas County Circuit Court, the Oregonian and other local news outlets reported.

McLemore starred at Kansas, where he was a first-team All-Big 12 Conference selection and a second-team All-American after averaging 15.9 points and 5.2 rebounds in 2012-13.

The Kings selected McLemore with the seventh pick in the 2013 NBA draft. In 2014, McLemore represented the Kings in the Slam Dunk Contest as part of All-Star Weekend.

He spent his first four seasons in Sacramento before going on to play for the Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers. He played for the Kings from 2013 to 2017 and again during the 2018-19 season.

McLemore posted career averages of 9.0 points and 2.3 rebounds in 556 games during his NBA career. He had his best season in Sacramento in 2014-15, averaging a career-high 12.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists while shooting 43.7% from the field and 35.8% from 3-point range.

McLemore last played in the NBA in 2021-22, averaging 10.2 points in 64 games for the Trail Blazers. Over the past two years, he has played overseas for the Shandong Hi-Speed Kirin of the Chinese Basketball Association, AEK Athens of the Greek Basket League and Rio Breogan of the Liga ACB.

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