Ben McLemore will spend the next 100 months in prison.

On Wednesday (July 9), a judge sentenced the ex-NBA player to more than eight years in Oregon state prison after he was convicted of raping and sexually assaulting a 21-year-old woman in 2021 at a house party in Lake Oswego, ESPN reports.

Scott Healy, Clackamas County First Assistant District Attorney, praised the victim for her courage for coming forward and the jury for McLemore’s conviction.

"Many people are often afraid to report this type of conduct for a number of reasons. "Hopefully the victim's strength and courage in this case will give others the fortitude to come forward in circumstances where sexual assault has occurred,” Healy’s statement read.

“The sentence the defendant received today should serve as a reminder that this type of conduct will not be tolerated in our community, and that the Clackamas County DA's Office will always work hard to hold offenders accountable and provide justice to victims," the statement continued.

In his own statement on Wednesday, McLemore said he believes in the “power of grace and redemption.”

"I strive to live with kindness, to be gentle and show up for my people," he said. "I care deeply about those around me,” McLemore wrote. “And, even in this dark moment, I believe in the power of grace and redemption. I believe in second chances, and will work every day to earn mine."

McLemore also noted that he was "surprised and disappointed" by the verdict.

"As I testified, I never believed I was having sex without full consent," McLemore said.

"We hope the Oregon Legislature will adopt a 'second look' process that would evaluate whether he should serve the entire 100 month sentence or whether, beyond the short alcohol-influenced encounter that led to this conviction, he is a considerate and humble person who has lived an honorable, community-focused life," McLemore's attorney, Kristen Winemiller added.

Last week, the Clackamas County Circuit Court jury found McLemore guilty on one charge of first-degree rape, one charge of first-degree unlawful sexual penetration, and one count of second-degree sexual abuse. He was not convicted on an additional count of second-degree sexual abuse. 

The sexual assault occurred on October 3, 2021, after a party at the home of Robert Covington, a former Portland Trailblazer teammate of McLemore’s in Lake Oswego.  Healy told the court that the victim was "hammered unconscious drunk" that night, and it was  “the most alcohol the woman ever had to drink in her life and the most intoxicated she's ever been.”

"(The defendant) needs to be held accountable for what he did. You can't do that to somebody, let alone somebody that you don't know either,” the victim said during her testimony. “You don't do that to people, and just be able to get away with it. I don't care who you are," the victim said during her testimony.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, don't hesitate to get in touch with the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.