Rashid Byrd Receives 90-Year Prison Sentence for Multiple Violent Sexual Assault Convictions
Bollywoodfever, March 3: Rashid Byrd, a former NBA G-League player and actor in “Semi-Pro,” has been sentenced to 90 years to life in prison following his conviction for a series of sexual assaults that spanned from 2015 to 2020.
The 42-year-old ex-basketball player, who played for the LA Lakers’ D-Fenders (now known as the South Bay Lakers) and the Houston Rockets’ Rio Grande Valley Vipers, received his sentence on Friday, four years after his initial arrest.
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) began investigating Byrd in 2019 after a victim came forward. He was arrested in September 2020 with bail set at $4,150,000.
According to an LAPD statement released on Friday, their investigation revealed Byrd’s involvement in “a series of violent sexual assaults” across Los Angeles and Santa Clara Counties between 2015 and 2020.
Byrd, who was undrafted in the 2003 NBA Draft, had previously been convicted of sexual assault in two separate incidents, including one in 2010 involving a different victim.
The LAPD also uncovered a 2005 arrest for sexual assault against a young woman in Washington State.
Byrd, who stands at seven feet one inch, leveraged his brief acting career and status as an athlete to manipulate his victims, according to authorities.
“Leveraging his charm and pseudo-celebrity status as an athlete, Byrd’s initial approach quickly escalated to rape and violence,” stated LAPD Detective Dara Brown.
Byrd’s acting career included a role in the 2008 Will Ferrell comedy “Semi-Pro” and participation in the 2009 basketball documentary “Bring Your ‘A’ Game” alongside notable figures like Mario Van Peebles and Ice Cube.
Despite never playing in an official NBA game, Byrd had stints with the Lakers and the Sacramento Kings and made 21 appearances in the D-League during the 2008-09 season, as reported by Eurobasket.com. He also played basketball in Europe.
The LAPD expressed relief at Byrd’s sentencing, highlighting the courage of the women who came forward with their stories.
“We are relieved that Rashid Byrd will no longer pose a threat to the public,” Detective Brown remarked, encouraging any other victims to come forward with information regarding Byrd’s crimes.
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