Sacramento Kings guard pleads guilty to domestic battery

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) Sacramento Kings point guard Darren Collison pleaded guilty Friday to misdemeanor domestic battery from a May incident and issued a statement apologizing to a woman he said he has known and loved since high school.

Collison, 29, must serve 20 days in jail, but may be allowed to participate in an alternative sentencing program, according to the Placer County District Attorney's Office. He must perform 20 hours of community service and a yearlong program to deter domestic violence as part of three-year sentence of informal probation, The Sacramento Bee reported.

Placer County sheriff's deputies said they arrested Collison after they responded to a report of a woman being assaulted inside a home and found her visibly injured.

He was initially charged with one misdemeanor count of domestic violence causing injury and one of domestic battery, along with one count of driving on a suspended license from a separate incident.

''Words cannot describe the feelings and regret that I have been experiencing the last few months,'' Collison said in a statement released by the Kings. ''This is far from who I am as a person and not something I am proud of.... I have apologized to my beautiful wife that I have known and loved since high school.''

Collison completed two seasons with the Kings and has one year remaining on his contract. He previously played for New Orleans, Indiana, Dallas and the Los Angeles Clippers during his seven-year NBA career.

''Domestic violence is a serious issue across our nation and one that runs contrary to our organization's values,'' the Kings said in a statement expressing disappointment for his behavior. ''He is committed to using this incident to help raise awareness through education of this critical issue in the community. We're working with Darren and the NBA on the appropriate next steps.''