Ex-NBA prospect and 'Semi-Pro' actor Rashid Byrd gets 90 years in prison for sexual assaults

Rashid Byrd, a former NBA prospect and actor, was sentenced to 90 years in prison for multiple sexual assaults dating back to 2015.

Byrd, who did multiple stints around the NBA's G-League, committed "a series of violent sexual assaults that occurred in Los Angeles and Santa Clara Counties between 2015 and 2020," according to an LAPD statement.

He was also arrested for sexually assaulting a young woman in Washington State in 2005, indicating that he has been preying on women for far longer than initially thought.

LAPD Detective Dara Brown explained, "He started as a charmer, playing up his status as an athlete and pseudo-celebrity, but that quickly faded into rapes and violence."

Byrd picked up his "charmer" skills when pursuing his acting career. He starred in Will Ferrell's 2008 comedy Semi-Pro, and authorities specifically noted that he used his acting skills to seduce his eventual victims.

Brown celebrated the sentencing, saying, "The LAPD is grateful for the brave women who came forward to tell their stories. While this investigation has gone on for years, we are thankful that Byrd is no longer on the streets."