Former NBA player Rashid Byrd sentenced to 90 years in prison for sexual assault

Rashid Byrd Hardwick played seven years in the NBA, and acted in two movies, ”Bring Your ‘A’ Game” and ”Semi Pro.” | Image: Rashid Byrd Hardwick/Facebook

LOS ANGELES – Former NBA player Rashid Byrd has been sentenced to 90 years to life in state prison for a series of violent sexual assaults that occurred in Los Angeles and Santa Clara counties from 2015 to 2020, the Los Angeles Police Department has announced.

Byrd, who has been in police custody since his arrest by the LAPD for sexual assault on Sept. 20, 2020, was sentenced Friday, March 1, police said.

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The LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division’s Special Assault Section began an investigation after a victim came forward to report that she had been sexually assaulted in 2019. During the course of their investigation, detectives discovered Byrd had been arrested for sexually assaulting a young woman in the state of Washington in 2005 and had been convicted of a sexual assault involving a different victim in 2010, police said.

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According to Byrd’s victims, although he was initially charming, he subsequently forced them into a variety of sex acts.

“He started as a charmer, playing up his status as an athlete and pseudo-celebrity, but that quickly faded into rapes and violence,” said Detective Dara Brown, the lead investigator on the case.

“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 added.

Bryd, who was born Rashid Byrd Hardwick, played seven years in the NBA, according to the website fandom.com. He also acted in two movies, ”Bring Your ‘A’ Game: and ”Semi Pro,” according to the movie and television site IMDb.