Darren Collison suspended 8 games for domestic violence

The league has suspended Sacramento Kings point guard Darren Collison for the first eight games of the regular season for his role in a domestic violence incident, as initially reported by ESPN's Marc Stein.

Collison can still play in preseason contests and attend Kings practices, but will not be able to suit up in the regular season until Nov. 8 against the New Orleans Pelicans.

The suspension will end up costing Collison $380,324 in lost salary.

He pleaded guilty in early September to a misdemeanor charge of domestic battery stemming from an incident in May. The 6-foot guard reportedly received three years probation and a 20-day jail sentence in an alternative sentencing program as part of his plea agreement.

Collison issued the following statement at the time of the plea deal:

"Words cannot describe the feelings and regret that I have been experiencing the last few months. My family and I found ourselves in such an unfamiliar situation and it has been a difficult few months. This is far from who I am as a person and not something I am proud of. I take full responsibility for my actions."

The 28-year-old averaged 14.0 points, 4.3 assists, and 2.3 rebounds in 74 games for Sacramento this past season.