Ben McLemore, 32, issued a lengthy statement after the hearing, blaming heavy alcohol consumption for impairing his judgment. He played at Wellston High and the University of Kansas.

A jury found McLemore guilty of first-degree rape, first-degree unlawful sexual penetration and second-degree sexual abuse one week prior.

Ben McLemore, a former forward and guard for Kansas and five NBA teams, will serve eight years in prison for raping and sexually assaulting a 21-year-old woman in 2021.