Ben McLemore, a former NBA player with a net worth of $5 million, faced legal troubles after his basketball career ended. His career spanned multiple teams before he was sentenced to prison in 2025.
Ben McLemore III is a retired American professional basketball player whose net worth is estimated at $5 million. From 2013 to 2022, he competed for five different NBA franchises before transitioning to overseas leagues in China, Greece, Spain, and Turkey. His playing days concluded in 2025 when he received an eight-year prison sentence after being convicted of raping a woman. Born on February 11, 1993, in St. Louis, Missouri, McLemore was raised alongside five siblings by his mother, Sonya Reid. He attended Wellston High School for three years before its closure in 2010, after which he moved to Oak Hill Academy in Virginia and later Christian Life Center Academy in Texas. A standout high school athlete, McLemore earned a four-star rating from Rivals.com. Originally committed to the University of Kansas, McLemore was declared ineligible for NCAA play due to attending multiple high schools. He was permitted to practice with the Kansas Jayhawks starting in his second semester and later played one collegiate season as a redshirt freshman. During that year, he posted averages of 15.9 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. Following his declaration for the 2013 NBA draft, his AAU coach, Darius Cobb, was accused of receiving illegal payments from NBA agent Rodney Blackstock. In the 2013 NBA draft, McLemore was selected seventh overall by the Sacramento Kings. He participated in the 2013 NBA Summer League before appearing in all 82 regular-season games, averaging 8.8 points and 2.9 rebounds. He returned to the Summer League in 2014, helping the Kings win the championship, and started every regular-season game that year, posting career-best figures of 12.1 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. His production declined in the 2015-16 season due to injury, with averages of 7.8 points and 2.2 rebounds in 68 games. The following season, he played 61 games, averaging 8.1 points and 2.1 rebounds. After a stint with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2017-18, he returned to the Kings for 2018-19 but was released after just 19 appearances. McLemore joined the Memphis Grizzlies for the 2017-18 season, appearing in 56 games with 17 starts and averaging 7.5 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. In mid-2019, he signed with the Houston Rockets, where he scored a season-high 28 points in a victory over the Toronto Raptors later that year. He completed the regular season with averages of 10.1 points and 2.2 rebounds across 71 games. McLemore made his playoff debut with the Rockets, advancing to the Conference semifinals before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers. He remained with the team for the 2020-21 season but was waived after 32 games. Three days after his release by the Rockets in April 2021, McLemore joined the Los Angeles Lakers, finishing the season with 21 regular-season games and four playoff appearances. That summer, he signed with the Portland Trail Blazers, playing 64 games in 2021-22 and averaging 10.2 points per contest. In early 2023, McLemore inked a one-year deal with the Chinese Basketball Association’s Shandong Hi-Speed Kirin. Later that summer, he moved to Greece to play for AEK Athens, though his contract was terminated by year’s end. He then played for Spain’s Río Breogán from 2023 to 2024 before joining Turkey’s Yukatel Merkezefendi from 2024 to 2025. Over his NBA career, McLemore amassed over $21 million in salary. Drafted seventh overall by the Sacramento Kings in 2013, he signed a four-year rookie contract worth $13.1 million. In 2017, he agreed to a two-year, $10.7 million deal with the Memphis Grizzlies but played only one season before being traded back to the Kings. Short-term contracts with the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, and Portland Trail Blazers contributed additional millions to his earnings. In spring 2024, McLemore was arrested in Oregon on charges including rape, unlawful sexual penetration, and sexual abuse. The alleged incidents took place at a 2021 gathering at the Lake Oswego residence of his Portland Trail Blazers teammate Robert Covington. In summer 2025, McLemore was convicted on all but one count and sentenced to eight years in prison. Previously married, McLemore is the father of a child named Teagan. © 2026 Celebrity Net Worth / All Rights Reserved