Former NBA prospect and ‘Semi-Pro’ actor Rashid Byrd is sentenced to 90 years in prison after being found guilty of ‘a series of violent sexual assaults’

Ex-NBA prospect and ‘Semi-Pro’ actor Rashid Byrd has been sentenced to 90 years to life in prison after being found guilty of a series of sexual assaults dating back to 2015.

The 42-year-old former basketball player, who played in the NBA’s G-League with the D-Fenders of the LA Lakers (now South Bay Lakers) and the Rio Grand Valley Vipers of the Houston Rockets, was sentenced on Friday. , four years after his arrest.

The LAPD initially investigated Bryrd after receiving reports from one of his victims in 2019. He was arrested in September 2020 and held on $4,150,000 bail.

In a rack Released Friday, the LAPD said its investigation “uncovered a series of violent sexual assaults that occurred in Los Angeles and Santa Clara counties between 2015 and 2020.”

In the past, Byrd, who went undrafted in the 2003 NBA Draft, was also found guilty of two other counts of sexual assault, including one in 2010 involving another victim.

Rashid Byrd, who played in the NBA D-League and starred in Will Ferrell’s 2008 comedy “Semi-Pro,” was sentenced to 90 years in prison for a series of sexual assaults

Byrd, 42, tried acting while pursuing a professional basketball career and would ‘charm’ his victims

“Detectives also discovered that Byrd was arrested for sexually assaulting a young woman in Washington state in 2005,” the LAPD statement said.

Byrd, a six-foot-tall center, tried his hand at acting while pursuing a professional basketball career and would charm his victims by applying drama skills he had learned at the time, authorities said.

“He started out as a charmer, playing up his status as an athlete and pseudo-celebrity, but that quickly faded into rape and violence,” said LAPD Detective Dara Brown.

Byrd initially started his acting career in commercials and was then cast in Will Ferrell’s 2008 comedy ‘Semi-Pro’, where he took on the role of one of the comedian’s Flint Tropics teammates.

Byrd was also featured in the 2009 basketball documentary “Bring Your ”A” Game” alongside Mario Van Peebles, Ice Cub and Sean “Diddy” Combs.

Byrd (top row, fifth from right), who stands six feet tall, played center in both ‘Semi-Pro’ and in real life

The former hooper (R) scored 99 points in 299 minutes during the 200-90 D-League season

He previously signed contracts with the Lakers and the Sacramento Kings, despite never being involved in an NBA game in his life, and made 21 appearances in the D-League (now G-League) during the 2008–09 season, with he scored 99 points in 299. minutes, according to Eurobasket.com.

According to him, Byrd also played in Europe KTL.

The LAPD announced Byrd’s conviction on Friday and said it was grateful he would be locked up for a long time.

“The LAPD is grateful for the courageous women who came forward to tell their stories,” Brown said. “Although this investigation has been ongoing for years, we are grateful that Byrd is no longer living on the streets.”

Brown appeared to be in charge of Byrd’s case, apparently asking his victims “to contact her with information about his crimes.”