Last Updated on August 11, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Ben McLemore came into the league with a reputation as a gifted scorer and smooth perimeter shooter capable of catching fire quickly. Although consistency was often the missing piece, his athleticism and natural scoring ability kept teams interested in the upside he showed throughout his career.

Here’s detailed information about Ben McLemore:

  • Full Name: Ben McLemore
  • Nickname: B-Mac
  • Nationality: American
  • Date of Birth: February 11, 1993
  • Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri, USA
  • Height: 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
  • Weight: 195 lbs (88 kg)
  • Wingspan: 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
  • Shoe Size: 13 (US)
  • Jersey Number:
    • #23 — Kansas Jayhawks
    • #16 — Sacramento Kings
    • #23 — Memphis Grizzlies
    • #23 — Houston Rockets
    • #7 — Los Angeles Lakers
    • #23 — Portland Trail Blazers
  • Position: Shooting Guard
  • High School: Wellston High School (Missouri); Oak Hill Academy (Virginia)
  • College: Kansas Jayhawks (2012–2013)
  • NBA Draft: 2013 — Round 1, Pick 7 — Sacramento Kings
  • Player Archetype: Athletic floor-spacing shooting guard
  • Primary Offensive Role: Catch-and-shoot perimeter scorer, transition finisher
  • Defensive Role: Perimeter wing defender (limited consistency)
  • Play Style: Off-ball scorer who thrives on spot-ups, cuts, and open-floor athleticism
  • Handedness / Shooting Hand: Right-handed
  • Athletic Profile: Explosive leaper, strong straight-line speed, above-average vertical athlete
  • Recruiting Status: 5-star recruit (top-tier junior college transfer)
  • Draft Status Detail: One-and-done prospect; widely projected lottery pick due to elite shooting and athletic upside
  • Injury Status Category: Moderate Risk — minor recurring injuries and inconsistency impacting availability but no major long-term damage
  • Career Stage: Journeyman veteran (post-prime rotational scorer)
  • Comparison Style: Athletic shooting guard reliant on perimeter scoring and vertical explosiveness
  • Comparable Players:
    • Ray Allen — elite shooting archetype baseline comparison
    • Gerald Green — athletic scorer with streaky shooting
    • Terrence Ross — modern 3-and-D scorer with volatility
  • Teams Played For:
    • Sacramento Kings (2013–2017)
    • Memphis Grizzlies (2017–2018)
    • Houston Rockets (2019–2021)
    • Los Angeles Lakers (2021–2022)
    • Portland Trail Blazers (2022)
  • Championship Rings: 0
  • Parents: Sonya Reid (mother)
  • Children: Not publicly documented
  • Siblings: Multiple siblings (including brother Ben McLemore Jr. references vary)

Ben McLemore’s player archetype is that of an athletic floor-spacing shooting guard, built around perimeter scoring and vertical explosiveness rather than shot creation. Defensively, he typically fills a basic wing containment role but has struggled with consistency and awareness on that end. Offensively, he operates primarily as a catch-and-shoot threat and transition finisher, leveraging his quick release and leaping ability. Physically, McLemore combines a strong frame with above-the-rim athleticism and long arms, which supports his finishing and shooting mechanics. His overall play style centers on off-ball movement, spot-up shooting, and opportunistic scoring bursts, making him a streak-dependent contributor who can swing games when his jumper is falling.

Scouting Report

Ben McLemore’s game has always made more sense away from the ball than with it. The assumption is often that he’s simply a spot-up shooter, but that’s selling short the way he works to create those opportunities. He doesn’t just wait in the corner; he relocates after drives, sprints off pindowns, changes his angle as defenders turn their heads and arrives balanced enough to get into his release almost immediately. That’s where his offense is most dangerous. Give him a ball-dominant creator drawing two defenders and he’ll punish late closeouts, but ask him to initiate possessions or consistently manufacture shots against a set defense and the cracks begin to show. His handle is functional rather than deceptive, so physical defenders can push him off preferred driving lines, forcing him into contested pull-ups or awkward finishes instead of clean paint touches. The interesting thing is that his athleticism often gets overlooked because it appears in straight lines rather than through advanced creation. He can rise quickly around the rim when attacking an open lane, and he’ll finish above defenders if the rotation arrives late, but he isn’t someone who consistently manipulates help defenders with pace or hesitation. Defensively, his effort fluctuates less than his awareness. He has the speed to chase shooters through off-ball actions and enough length to contest from behind, yet he can lose track of weak-side responsibilities or react a fraction late when offenses force multiple rotations in the same possession. To me, the ideal environment is one built around constant drive-and-kick basketball, where his movement shooting becomes a genuine weapon instead of asking him to solve possessions on his own. The ball doesn’t need to stick in his hands for him to have an impact; in fact, it usually shouldn’t. His game resembles Anthony Morrow in the way he thrives off spacing and catch-and-shoot opportunities, while there are flashes of Gerald Green in the combination of perimeter shooting and underrated vertical explosiveness when attacking an opening. — Mat Diekhake, HeatingUp

Sources:
Basketball Reference — Ben McLemore Stats
NBA.com — Ben McLemore Player Profile
ESPN — Ben McLemore Bio