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Former NBA prospect, ‘Semi-Pro’ actor sentenced to 90 years in prison for multiple sexual assaults
He played in 19 games for the Lakers’ D-League affiliate in the 2008-09 season.
nypost.com
Former NBA prospect, ‘Semi-Pro’ actor sentenced to 90 years in prison for multiple sexual assaults
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Published March 3, 2024, 12:27 a.m. ET
A former NBA prospect and “Semi-Pro” actor was found guilty of a series of violent sexual assaults dating back to 2015 and will spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Rashid Byrd, 42, was sentenced to 90 years to life in prison Friday following his 2020 arrest by the Los Angeles Police Department, which was investigating him after receiving reports from one of his victims the year earlier.
Byrd was arrested on Sept. 18, 2020, and held on a $4,150,000 bail, where he remained in custody until his conviction.
The LAPD’s investigation uncovered “a series of violent sexual assaults that occurred in Los Angeles and Santa Clara Counties between 2015 and 2020,” the LAPD said in a statement Friday.
3 Rashid Byrd, who played in the NBA D-League and overseas, was sentenced to 90 years to life for a series of violent sexual assaults. AP
Byrd, who went undrafted in the 2003 NBA Draft, was also previously convicted of two other sexual assaults, one in 2010 involving a different victim.
“Detectives also discovered that Byrd had been arrested for sexually assaulting a young woman in Washington State in 2005,” the statement read.
The 7’-1” center, born Rashid Byrd Hardwick, also tried out acting during his pursuit of a basketball career as authorities said he would charm his victims.
“He started as a charmer, playing up his status as an athlete and pseudo-celebrity, but that quickly faded into rapes and violence,” LAPD Detective Dara Brown said.
Byrd’s acting career began with several commercial spots before he was cast in the 2008 Will Ferrell comedy “Semi-Pro,” where he played the comedian’s Flint Tropics teammate.
3 Byrd, #50, cast in the 2008 Will Ferrell comedy “Semi-Pro,” where he played the comedian’s Flint Tropics teammate. IMDb
He also landed a role in the 2009 documentary “Bring Your ‘A’ Game,” which starred Mario Van Peebles, Ice Cube and Sean “Diddy” Combs.
Byrd signed contracts with both the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings but never appeared in an NBA game.
He appeared in 21 games during the 2008-2009 D-League season for the Lakers’ development team, then named Los Angeles D-Fenders, and the Houston Rockets’ Rio Grande Valley Vipers.
Byrd scored 99 points in the 299 minutes he played in that season, according to Eurobasket.com.
3 Rashid Byrd, left, poses for a picture at an album release party hosted by Interscope Records and Lebron James on Sept. 24, 2009. AP
He had several stints in Europe as well, according to KTLA.
The LAPD celebrated Friday’s sentencing, saying they were thankful Byrd would remain behind bars.
“The LAPD is grateful for the brave women who came forward to tell their stories,” Brown added. “While this investigation has gone on for years, we are thankful that Byrd is no longer on the streets.
Brown noted the LAPD had made efforts to contact all of Byrd’s victims but asked “that with information regarding his crimes contact her.”
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