Ben McLemore facts for kids
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McLemore with Merkezefendi in 2024
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 11, 1993 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| High school |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Listed weight | 195 lb (88 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Kansas (2012–2013) |
| NBA Draft | 2013 / Round: 1 / Pick: 7th overall |
| Selected by the Sacramento Kings | |
| Pro career | 2013–2025 |
| Career history | |
| 2013–2017 | Sacramento Kings |
| 2017–2018 | Memphis Grizzlies |
| 2017 | →Memphis Hustle |
| 2018–2019 | Sacramento Kings |
| 2019–2021 | Houston Rockets |
| 2021 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2021–2022 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 2023 | Shandong Hi-Speed Kirin |
| 2023 | AEK Athens |
| 2023–2024 | Río Breogán |
| 2024–2025 | Merkezefendi Belediyesi Denizli |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Ben Edward McLemore III (born February 11, 1993) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks. He was chosen as the seventh overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft by the Sacramento Kings. McLemore played for five teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA) during his nine-year career.
McLemore spent four seasons with the Kings. He then joined the Memphis Grizzlies in 2017. He was traded back to the Kings in 2018. After that, he signed with the Houston Rockets in 2019. McLemore played for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2021. His last NBA team was the Portland Trail Blazers during the 2021–22 season. From 2023 to 2025, McLemore played basketball in other countries like China, Greece, Spain, and Turkey.
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High School Basketball Journey
McLemore played high school basketball at Wellston High School in St. Louis, Missouri. He played there for three years until the school closed in 2010. For his senior year, he attended both Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia and Christian Life Center in Humble, Texas.
Experts like Rivals.com considered McLemore a top player. In 2011, he was ranked as the No. 9 shooting guard and the No. 34 player in the entire nation.
College Basketball Career
After deciding to play for Kansas, McLemore was initially not allowed to play by the NCAA. This was because he had attended several high schools, and his school records were not clear. However, he was allowed to practice with the team. He could also join in team activities starting in the second half of the school year.
When he first started college, McLemore was expected to be picked later in the NBA draft. But during his first season, he played very well. He averaged 15.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game. He shot 49.5% from the field and 87% from the foul line. Because of his great performance, he was named a finalist for the John R. Wooden Award.
Professional Basketball Career
Playing for the Sacramento Kings (2013–2017)
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The Sacramento Kings chose McLemore as the seventh overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft. On July 13, 2013, he signed his first contract with the Kings. He then joined them for the 2013 NBA Summer League. He was named the Western Conference Rookie of the Month for November 2013.
In February 2014, McLemore was chosen to take part in the 2014 Sprite Slam Dunk contest. In the Kings' last game of the season on April 16, McLemore scored his highest points of the season, 31, in a game against the Phoenix Suns. In his first season, he played in all 82 games. He started 55 of those games. He averaged 8.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in about 26.7 minutes per game.
In July 2014, McLemore played for the Kings again in the 2014 NBA Summer League. He helped them win the Summer League championship. He averaged 12.6 points in seven games. On October 19, 2014, the Kings extended McLemore's contract through the 2015–16 season. On March 11, 2015, he scored a season-high 27 points in a win over the Charlotte Hornets. He started all 82 regular season games for the Kings in 2014–15. He averaged 12.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 32.6 minutes per game.
On October 3, 2015, the Kings extended McLemore's contract again, through the 2016–17 season. On December 5, he had a great game with 19 points and 9 rebounds. On January 28, 2016, he scored a season-high 26 points. On February 1, McLemore missed his first game ever due to a sprained right wrist. This ended his streak of 211 consecutive games played. He later missed 10 games in March because of a finger injury.
On February 10, 2017, McLemore scored a season-high 22 points. He also made a career-best six three-pointers in a win over the Atlanta Hawks. On March 29, 2017, he matched his season high with 22 points.
Playing for the Memphis Grizzlies (2017–2018)
On July 7, 2017, McLemore signed a contract with the Memphis Grizzlies. On August 8, 2017, he was unable to play for about 12 weeks. This was because he broke his right foot during a pickup game. On November 2, 2017, McLemore was sent to the Memphis Hustle of the NBA G League. He was called back a week later. He played his first game for the Grizzlies on November 11, 2017. He scored four points and had two rebounds in 18 minutes. On December 9, 2017, he scored a season-high 17 points. On January 19, 2018, he set a new season high with 21 points in a win over the Sacramento Kings.
Returning to Sacramento (2018–2019)
On July 17, 2018, McLemore was traded back to the Sacramento Kings. He was traded along with Deyonta Davis and a future draft pick. On February 7, 2019, the Kings decided to let McLemore go.
Playing for the Houston Rockets (2019–2021)
On July 23, 2019, McLemore signed with the Houston Rockets.
On December 5, 2019, McLemore led the Rockets in scoring with a season-high 28 points. He also made a career-best 8 three-pointers in a win against the Toronto Raptors. On December 7, 2019, McLemore finished with 27 points. This was the first time he scored more than 25 points in two games in a row.
On April 3, 2021, the Rockets released McLemore from his contract.
Playing for the Los Angeles Lakers (2021)
On April 6, 2021, McLemore signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. On April 8, he played his first game for the Lakers. He scored 6 points coming off the bench.
Playing for the Portland Trail Blazers (2021–2022)
On August 5, 2021, McLemore signed with the Portland Trail Blazers. He played his first game for the team on October 23. He scored six points in a win over the Phoenix Suns.
Playing Overseas (2023–2025)
On January 31, 2023, McLemore signed a one-year contract with the Shandong Hi-Speed Kirin in China.
On August 6, 2023, McLemore signed with AEK Athens in Greece. This was his first time playing for a European club. His contract ended by agreement in December 2023.
On December 22, 2023, McLemore joined Club Baloncesto Breogán in Spain. He played for them for the rest of the 2023-24 season. He wore the number 7 jersey for the team.
On August 22, 2024, he signed with Yukatel Merkezefendi in Turkey.
Player Skills and Style
Before he was drafted into the NBA, McLemore's size and way of playing basketball were often compared to former NBA All-Star Ray Allen.
Career Statistics
NBA Regular Season Stats
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013–14 | Sacramento | 82 | 55 | 26.7 | .376 | .320 | .804 | 2.9 | 1.0 | .5 | .2 | 8.8 |
| 2014–15 | Sacramento | 82 | 82* | 32.6 | .437 | .358 | .813 | 2.9 | 1.7 | .9 | .2 | 12.1 |
| 2015–16 | Sacramento | 68 | 53 | 21.2 | .429 | .362 | .718 | 2.2 | 1.2 | .8 | .1 | 7.8 |
| 2016–17 | Sacramento | 61 | 26 | 19.3 | .430 | .382 | .753 | 2.1 | .8 | .5 | .1 | 8.1 |
| 2017–18 | Memphis | 56 | 17 | 19.5 | .421 | .346 | .828 | 2.5 | .9 | .7 | .3 | 7.5 |
| 2018–19 | Sacramento | 19 | 0 | 8.3 | .391 | .415 | .667 | .9 | .2 | .3 | .1 | 3.9 |
| 2019–20 | Houston | 71 | 23 | 22.8 | .444 | .400 | .746 | 2.2 | .8 | .6 | .2 | 10.1 |
| 2020–21 | Houston | 32 | 4 | 16.8 | .357 | .331 | .719 | 2.1 | .9 | .6 | .1 | 7.4 |
| L.A. Lakers | 21 | 1 | 17.5 | .390 | .368 | .762 | 1.6 | .5 | .1 | .3 | 8.0 | |
| 2021–22 | Portland | 64 | 6 | 20.1 | .401 | .362 | .818 | 1.6 | .9 | .6 | .2 | 10.2 |
| Career | 556 | 267 | 22.5 | .414 | .363 | .780 | 2.3 | 1.0 | .6 | .2 | 9.0 | |
NBA Playoff Stats
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Houston | 11 | 0 | 11.8 | .375 | .389 | — | 1.0 | .5 | .4 | .0 | 4.0 |
| 2021 | L.A. Lakers | 4 | 0 | 9.0 | .222 | .333 | — | 1.8 | .3 | .3 | .0 | 1.5 |
| Career | 15 | 0 | 11.1 | .347 | .381 | — | 1.2 | .5 | .3 | .0 | 3.3 | |
College Stats
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012–13 | Kansas | 37 | 37 | 32.2 | .495 | .420 | .870 | 5.2 | 2.0 | 1.0 | .7 | 15.9 |
Personal Life
Ben McLemore was raised by his mother, Sonya Reid, in Wellston, Missouri. He grew up with his five brothers and sisters. His younger brother, Kevin, passed away in 2018.
On July 4, 2015, the street where McLemore grew up, Wellston Avenue, was renamed Ben McLemore III Place in his honor.
McLemore was married before. In March 2017, his first child, Teagan, was born.
See also
In Spanish: Ben McLemore para niños
