G League Rio Grande Valley Vipers

Vipers Acquire Rashid Byrd

Published on April 8, 2009 under NBA G League (G League)
Rio Grande Valley Vipers News Release


HIDALGO, TEXAS - The NBA D-League Rio Grande Valley Vipers announced today that they have acquired Rashid Byrd from the D-League Player Pool. Byrd will be in uniform for tonight's 7:30 p.m. road game against the Austin Toros.

To make room on the roster, the Vipers waived Stanley Asumnu due to injury.

A 7-1, 235 pound center out of Eastern Oklahoma Junior College, Byrd played in 19 games for the Los Angeles D-Fenders, averaging 4.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and one block in 15.7 minutes of action per game, before being waived on January 22.

The 27-year old scored a season-high ten points three times, while recording a season-high eight rebounds twice. He accomplished both feats in a January 16 game against the Albuquerque Thunderbirds. Seven of his rebounds were offensive in that game. Of his 70 total rebounds, 32 were offensive.

Byrd played one season (2000-01) at EOJC, averaging 2.2 points and 2.3 rebounds in 17 games before declaring for the NBA Draft. He withdrew his name from consideration and went into the 2002 NBA Draft, but was not selected. He participated in the NBA summer league with the Detroit Pistons and Denver Nuggets in 2002 before signing with the Harlem Globetrotters in the fall. Byrd was then selected by the Huntsville Flight in the seventh round (#33 pick overall0 of the 2002 NBDL Draft. He also appeared in the NBA summer league with the Seattle SuperSonics in 2005. Byrd was in training camp with the Sacramento Kings in the fall of 2007.

"With the season ending injury to Stan Asumnu, Rashid will provide depth for these last three games and give us a chance to evaluate him for next season," Vipers head coach Clay Moser said.

A top-250 recruit out of Freeport High School (Long Island, NY) and Winchendon Prep School (Worcester, MA), Byrd spent last summer in the WCBPL with the Santa Barbara Breakers, averaging 14.0 points and 9.4 rebounds per game in 16 contests. He spent the 2007-08 season with the Orange County Gladiators (ABA) after spending the summer of 007 with the Santa Barbara Breakers (IBL). He played in China for the Sanxi Dongshen Kylins and the Henan RenHe Dragons during the 2006-07 season. Byrd was a member of the Tacoma Thunder and Seattle Mountaineers (IBL) in the summer of 2006 and was with the Tacoma Navigators and Buffalo Rapids (ABA) during the 2005-06 season. Byrd started the 2004-05 season with the Fresno Heat Wave (ABA) before going to Kosovo to play with Dukagijin Peje. He split the 2003-04 season between the Tijuana Tzamania Diablos and the Trenton Jersey Squires (ABA) after playing in two games for the Pennsylvania Valley Dawgs (USBL) in the summer of 2003. Byrd is also a member of the And1 Streetball Tour.

Byrd appeared as a member of the Flint Tropics in the movie SemiPro and has also been in a "Got Milk?" commercial.

Formerly known as Rashid Hardwick, he changed his last name to Byrd in 2005. His nickname is "Seven and Sum Change."

Asumnu suffered a broken nose during Sunday's win over the Iowa Energy. In 47 games for the Vipers, he was averaging 10.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game while shooting 55% from the field.

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