Former Basketball Player Rashid Byrd Sentenced 90 Years To Life For ‘A Series Of Violent Sexual Assaults’
Former basketball player Rashid Byrd was recently given a prison sentence of 90 years to life on Friday, March 1 after being convicted of a “series of violent sexual assaults” over several years, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Byrd has been imprisoned since his arrest on September 18, 2020, when detectives arrested him for sexual assault. The assaults took place in Los Angeles and Santa Clara Counties between 2015 and 2020.
“The LAPD is grateful for the brave women who came forward to tell their stories,” said Detective Dara Brown, lead investigator on the case, in a written statement. “While this investigation has gone on for years, we are thankful that Byrd is no longer on the streets.”
LAPD NEWS: Former NBA Player Sentenced to 90 Years to Life in State Prison pic.twitter.com/qnF7mZ0xxQ
— LAPD PIO (@LAPDPIO) March 2, 2024
After receiving a complaint against Byrd of being sexually assaulted in 2019, investigators discovered that the accusation was not the first levied against him. Detectives found out that Byrd was convicted of a sexual assault involving a different woman back in 2010. It was also discovered that he had been arrested for sexually assaulting a young woman in Washington five years earlier in 2005.
The New York Post reported that although Byrd went undrafted in 2003, he signed contracts with two NBA teams, the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings. Yet, he never made it on the court for either team. But, he did play in the D-League (It was known as the NBA Development League until 2017. Now, after a rebranding, it’s the NBA G League) with the Lakers’ development team, Los Angeles D-Fenders and the Houston Rockets’ Rio Grande Valley Vipers during the 2008-2009 season. He played in 21 games.
He was also an actor who appeared in several commercials before being seen in the 2008 Will Ferrell comedy “Semi-Pro.” After the role, he was also seen in the 2009 documentary “Bring Your ‘A’ Game,” starring Mario Van Peebles, Ice Cube, and Sean “Diddy” Combs.
Former Basketball Player Rashid Byrd Sentenced 90 Years To Life For ‘A Series Of Violent Sexual Assaults’
