Former National Basketball Association prospect Rashid Bird has been sentenced to 90 years to life in prison for a series of sexual assaults.
Byrd, 39, was sentenced on March 1 for a series of sexual assaults committed between 2015 and 2020, according to the LS Police Department.
The former basketball player was arrested in 2019 after a woman accused him of sexual assault. However, during the investigation, the Los Angeles Police Department discovered Byrd was connected to several other cases.
“During the investigation, detectives learned that Byrd was convicted of sexual assault of another victim in 2010,” the LAPD said.
“Detectives also discovered that Byrd had been arrested in Washington state in 2005 for sexually assaulting a young woman,” they said.
Los Angeles Police News: Former NBA player sentenced to 90 years to life in state prison pic.twitter.com/qnF7mZ0xxQ
— Los Angeles Police Department PIO (@LAPDPIO) March 2, 2024
Police added that Byrd approached the women as an attractive athlete, but quickly became violent.
“He started out as a glamorous person, showing off his status as an athlete and pseudo-celebrity, but that quickly degenerated into rape and violence,” the investigator said.
Although the NBA never acquired Bird, he played nearly 20 games with the LA D Fenders, a team in the NBA Development League. Bird also plays in European leagues and has several acting credits.
Actor and NBA player Rashid Bird has 90 years to live https://t.co/mVz7ZxzvN7
— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) March 2, 2024
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